


you can fly! you can fly! you can fly!

by ilooklikeaspoon



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Disney, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Neverland, Peter Pan - Freeform, hinata is peter pan, i hope i did this tagging thing right, im sorry i love her really, kageyama is wendy, miwa is a bitch in this one, natsu is tinkerbell, oikawa and kuroo are mermaids, what more do you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:14:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 24,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26815678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilooklikeaspoon/pseuds/ilooklikeaspoon
Summary: it would be delightful to say that when tobio’s foot left the window ledge, miwa caught his arm or maybe his mother came home early and grabbed him.but that way... well, there’d be no story, would there?(yes it’s a kagehina peter pan au)
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> idk why i wrote this, i was watching peter pan one day and thought hey a kagehina peter pan fic should be a thing 
> 
> but hello! this is my first ao3 fic so i’m sorry if it’s really bad- i tried my best. i changed some parts of the story and added my own little bits in so it won’t be perfect, any peter pan hardcore fans please don’t cut my arms off 
> 
> anway, onto the magic we go! i hope you enjoy <3

_ “my dearest tobio, _

_ i don’t know when this letter will end up in your hands. i do know, however, that as you’re reading this i’m no longer with you. i’ll be on my own journey to somewhere new. or, rather, you won’t be with me- because i will always be with you. keep me in your heart instead of your mind and i’ll stay there forever. _

_ who am i kidding?! you don’t want to read a whole sap story! this is just a little change of scenery is all! i thought i’d write you a few things i want you to take with you. some things to remember, as i’m no longer here to tell you. _

_ (however, i will be watching over you like a hawk. so you better make sure to follow my rules. i’ll send down the biggest and baddest pirates and monsters if you don’t.)  _

_ perhaps you’re all grown up now! i can only imagine what you’ve gone on to accomplish. whatever passion has found you, i’m sure it’s allowed your eyes to turn electric. i always loved that about you. the way your sapphire eyes lit up when i asked you to race up the hill, when i told you it was story time.  _

_ i’ll miss that.  _

_ you always told me you would be stuck in the kageyama house forever. that you’d end up just working for your mother’s business, failing to do what i’ve taught you- which is to be free. to live this life how you want to. i pray you’ve learned that lesson by now. (if not, here come more pirates...) _

_ ah! speaking of pirates, your mother and dear miwa. tobio, i know they’re difficult and bitter. my wife raised them- of course they are. it’s in the kageyama blood. i don’t want them to get under your skin. they do not define you, tobio. they just don’t express themselves how they should, that’s all. they’re both still kids deep down like the rest of us. the difference is they let growing up get the best of them. sad, isn’t it? i can only hope you haven’t. you lose the magic and most wonderful parts of life when you grow up. _

_ that’s enough about you fools. where am i, you ask? that’s an adventure i’m saving for another day. when i think about it, i picture a place where dreams live; where time holds no meaning. we would talk about the place between sleep and awake, where you still remember dreaming? that’s where i’ll be waiting and watching, tobio.  _

_ now go. trust what the universe has in store for you. let your wildest dreams and fantasies guide you. reach out and find your happily ever after. _

_ no pirates and monsters can hold you back from that. _

_ love always, grandpa” _

-

tobio felt stuck. 

the letter was old news to him, he found it a few days after his grandpa passed. it was all he had left of him- no more races up the hill, no more sloppy kisses on the cheek and no more endless stories being told by the moon- just a crumpled, confusing letter.

no matter how many times his eyes stared down each word begging for them to make sense, they never did. he hated that. sure, him and grandpa were two peas in a pod and as close as could be- so if tobio couldn’t understand his grandpa’s parting words, could anyone? 

his mother certainly wouldn’t. when grandpa spent hours every evening telling tobio the most wonderful tales and stories, his mother simply dismissed them all. she would bitterly suggest these fantasies were just him ‘getting old’ and ‘planting ideas in the poor boy’s head.’

tobio didn’t understand, though. he adored his grandpa’s stories. he would transport him into the happiest and most bizarre worlds, making up characters along the way that seemed so realistic; so unbelievably believable. a bowl with adventures, lessons, memories and extra special magic was fed to his mind every night; acquainted with a sea of characters he truly understood. it seemed hard to empathise with fairies and pirates, but grandpa kageyama made it so easy. he made everything easier for tobio. 

that’s why he hated being stuck on this letter. grandpa’s words were meant to be so effortless, the kind of words that speak to the heart- so why could he not understand what his grandpa was trying to tell him, why he wrote it in the first place? it was one big loop which lead him to the beginning again. stuck on trying to make something out of nothing. 

in fact, tobio  _ was _ stuck. his hand began to turn blue as it was wedged in the drawer where the letter lived.

of course. how did he even manage to have this much bad luck? 

a sigh of hopelessness escaped tobio’s lips as he thumped his head on the drawers. he had one foot propped on the drawer and the other like a statue, desperately tearing his wrist out of the ancient drawer. 

“i should’ve thrown these out... long ago...” he grunted, still tearing at his wrist, “stupid...old...” the whole thing was trembling but tobio did not back down, “come on... hurry u-OH-“

well, now his hand wasn’t the only part of him that was crippled.

he lay in a heap on the cold wood, not willing to move as his head felt like it was circling with sparkles. thankfully, the drawer was unharmed. 

as that was all the kageyama family would care about.

he sighed a heavy sigh and made an attempt to pull himself up, only to wince at the pain of putting pressure on his wrist.

it would all be okay, as long as nobody saw hi-

“tobio? the hell are you doing?”

  1. look what the cat dragged in.



“hi, mom.” tobio didn’t give his mother a glance. he hid his face in his knees, embarrassment creeping in on his cheeks.

“should i even ask what happened in here?” she remarked, snarky.

“no, mom.”

“well, i’m going out for dinner with a colleague of mine. i came in here to say don’t do anything stupid while i’m gone but it seems you’ve done the damage already. what was it this time, a game of pirates and princesses?” his mother ridiculed. tobio bit his tongue.

“i was just reading grandpa’s letter, is all.” his voice was small.

even the cat across the street could feel his mother’s eye rolls.

“i’m not talking that over with you again!” her voice became distant as she scurried out the room, “it’s time you stopped basing your entire life on a letter from a mentally unstable man. also get up off the floor, where will that get you?! it’s about time you got some hair on your chest and grew up.” his mother was nearly snarling.

and just like that, out the door. 

he shouldn’t be surprised. this isn’t the worst of it- why is he getting so upset? it’s like crying over stepping on one snail, while watching someone else stand on one hundred snails and they don’t even let one single tear escape. he was weak- he knew that. that’s all anyone ever told him, apart from grandpa. and he’s gone now, so does that even count?

pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, he pulled himself up to get some ice for his swollen wrist.

in the kageyama house, leaving his room was more like a mission to tobio than a simple task. 

he pushed the door ever so slightly open, hustling himself into the hallway as quiet as a fairy and as quick as a golden eagle. 

he convinced himself he was safe. he convinced himself he would get ice, that his throbbing wrist was not sprained and tomorrow will be better. 

he was so used to that phrase now- it was more mechanical than effective.

“tomorrow will be better,” he muttered under his shaky, anxiety-filled breath, “tomorrow will be better...tomorrow will be...”

“tomorrow will be what, tobio?” a monotone voice echoed from the kitchen.

of course. his dear sister, miwa kageyama, must have gotten off work early. was he cursed with bad luck or something? 

“n-nothing.” he added sotto voce, reaching for the freezer drawer and hurrying his pathetic being out of the situation to avoid any more words being spoken. he cursed himself for thinking he wouldn’t be able to handle anymore. he should be stronger than that.

“you need to let this go.”

tobio’s footsteps froze. he felt his blood run ice cold, suddenly becoming a human icicle. 

“what’s that supposed to mean?” 

miwa sighed, locking their eyes, “grandpa has been gone for three years, yet you still cling onto his bullshit prophesies like a leech,” she squinted her tone, making tobio’s muscles tense.

“don’t pretend you care for your benefit,” he scowled, “just leave it. you worry about your life, i’ll worry about mine.”

“that’s the problem- you don’t look out for yourself enough. you need to grow up, tobio!” she raised her voice, making tobio flinch. “he’s gone, tobio. he’s dead.” 

his eyebrows merged together in aggravation, “shut up. i know it’s easier to hate than believe, but if you would just try to underst-“

“grandpa isn’t here anymore!” miwa cracked, tobio watching as pieces of her soul turned to dust, “god, you always talk about him like he’s still here. do we have to force you to sit at his grave to convince you he’s gone?! he’s not with us and there’s nothing we can do!! nothing!!” 

miwa didn’t catch a glimpse of tobio’s face- his completely downcast, shaken face- as when she took a breath, she could hear heavy thumps on the stairs and a door being slammed shut.

-

the moon was stunning. it seemed to be sparkling more than usual, looking like a glistening pearl on display in a glass cabinet. it’s funny how something so far away and distant can manage to glow up and touch a whole town, a whole world- no contact needed, it could simply present itself in the darkest skies and people would marvel. 

tobio wondered what that felt like. to simply just be, and people would feel more at peace. to be a light in the darkness. 

after the usual kageyama family affairs of butting heads, tobio was perched on his windowsill and told all his thoughts to the moon. 

the moon didn’t tell him his feelings were stupid. the moon didn’t tell him to grow up. it accepted him just as he was and safely locked away his thoughts in the glowing stars. 

tobio wished the moon could tell him what miwa said wasn’t true. that it’s okay for him to believe in his grandpa’s tales, even though it’s been years. 

with all his heart, he truly believed in his grandpa’s tales. he’d spent his whole life doing nothing but believing. 

“for once, it might be nice for someone to believe in me.” he whispered to no one, clutching at his wrinkled grey t-shirt.

he exhaled, his mind turning black as he crept into bed, looking out into the quiet city of sendai. 

quiet. why was it so quiet? where were the families laughing down the streets? where were the sound of his family giggling downstairs? the sound of his bedroom door squeaking open as his mom made sure he was asleep, giving a warm smile then wandering out? 

“it’s gonna be quiet for a long time, isn’t it...” tobio thought as his eyelids began to flutter with sleep.

it’s gonna be quiet for a long time.

those words circled around tobio’s head like stars in cartoons, holding him hostage inside his head and he was beginning to bid a melancholy sleep goodbye.

it’s too quiet. it’s almost suffocating. ironically, sometimes too quiet made his mind too loud. tobio cursed his overthinking brain. if only he had some background noise, even just simple dainty footsteps to ease him into a sleep...

or a crash from his stupid drawers.

tobio shot up. 

that was surely just his mind playing tricks on him. it’s not like those drawers are now cursed, right? although, given all of tobio’s luck today, he wouldn’t be surprised.

he thought about what miwa said.  _ he needs to let this go. _

giving up clutched at his heart. tobio buried his face in his pillow, trying his best to ignore the endless ideas bubbling in his brain.

and failing. miserably. 

the disturbances continued. he suppressed making a story up in his head to go along with the peculiar sounds- another crash, some impatient rustling, a few scratches at something wooden. 

his door was locked. his window was two stories high. he was pretty sure there was a knife in his room somewhere. 

“you said the universe had a plan, grandpa... was mine really to get robbed and killed at fifteen years old?” 

tobio pulled the covers up to his neck.

another muffled scratch.

his gaze was frozen on his window. if he looked in the dark corners of his room, it was game over.

‘tobio, don’t you dare look anywhere else...’ he grumbled to himself, noticing the sudden moisture on his forehead which made his inky black hair stick down like cello tape. 

that didn’t help his vision at all. he swore he was seeing stars for real this time.

or was that just the slight burst of sparkles coming from his stupid drawers? 

tobio swore he was going insane. he has to be seeing things now. hell, if miwa found out about this, she’d really have it in for him then...

“listen...” he quivered, “if you’re gonna kill me, just get it over with. m-make it quick.” 

he was still staring at his window.

more silence. it was silence, over and over again. like the universe had put him in a loop of torture. he cursed the world for making him so insane in the head.

“i’m not insane,” he muttered to himself repetitively, “i’m not insane... i’m not insane...”

he said it extra harshly when he swore he saw a figure situated on his windowsill, hunched over in laughter. 

  
  



	2. chapter two

tobio wasn’t going insane.

even though there was a possible intruder in his room, unknown sprays of dust coming from his run-down drawers and shadows quietly chuckling at him. these were completely normal events.

however, he couldn’t stop his blood flowing cold at the figure appearing closer and closer, peering through his window slowly like some sort of spy. 

‘what if it is a spy?’ tobio’s thoughts spiralled like a carousel, ‘why on earth would a spy be at my window? what have i got to hide?’

“look...” he couldn’t help the cracks in his voice, “if you’re looking for something, it’s not here. i can assure you.”

tobio’s mouth fell open when a polished maroon shoe took a stance on the floor.

the ‘shadow’ wasn’t a shadow at all. it wasn’t a man in a mask with a knife either.

it was a young boy- around his age. his eyes widened at the hair that bounced on his head, a frizzy tangerine bush with hedgehog-like spikes poking at all different directions. he wore a lime tunic that hugged his figure with darker green leggings contrasting against his pale, freckle-full skin. 

his worry returned as he noticed scars on the skin that poked out- his collarbone covered, his arms looking like patterns.

what do you mean it isn’t normal for robin hood to appear at your bedroom window? 

this stranger suddenly wasn’t interested in tobio as his eyes browsed the room, slowly prowling like a hunter ready to pounce. tobio noticed how he bounced with each step, and although being light on his feet he was sharp- reflexes going at any creak in the walls like lightning.

he wanted to say something. he wanted to say many things, a lot which would need beeping if this were on TV. a part of him grasped those words from surfacing, however. he felt like he was in the front row seat at a magic show, watching the main act unfold.

the boy’s face lifted as the drawer vomited sparkles once more. his chest rose in satisfaction, treating it like a sleeping mouse as he tiptoed over slowly, still treating tobio like a ghost. 

the drawer continued to shake and sparkle, wiggling like an animal trapped in a cage. the boy was not showing a single sign of fear or concern as he continued forward, getting extra close.

seriously, who did this guy think he was? 

nevermind that. tobio still had no idea  _ who  _ he was, what he was doing. and the mystery of the drawers? just what was going on in there? there were too many questions and not enough time.

“uh, wh-“

the drawer was open. 

the ginger’s hands did not move a muscle. it flew open and crashed like a bomb, shimmers of dust clouded the area while the boy stood in a fighting stance, extremely focused on trying to retrieve whatever came out of the drawer. tobio was desperately trying to keep up with the speedy movements, but failed. 

he swore he saw wings. then blamed that on being tired, because he couldn’t let this get any weirder in his brain. he was sure he’d pass out. 

the boy dashed and pounced around the room for some time, chasing whatever this dust creature was- clearly it was important to him as his face was scrunched with aggravation and annoyance as it kept slipping out his fingertips. 

tobio’s lips stayed zipped while pinching himself under the duvet.

he pinched extra hard when the two creatures came crashing down on the floor, rolling like tumbleweed and crashing at the foot of tobio’s bed.

no one moved for a while.

perhaps he’d disappeared? was he hiding under the bed, waiting for an ankle to appear that he would launch at and drag down with him?

“no more thinking, tobio. it’s time to deal.” he whispered as quietly as a spider, inhaling deeply.

he leaned over his bed.

disappointingly, he was met with an empty wooden floor. 

had he really disappeared? with those ninja reflexes, he could’ve easily slipped out the window again.

however, tobio would’ve surely heard the window frame. his brain was spiralling again; he cursed his brain for never letting him leave this overthinking state.

his eyes began to go blurry as zoning out overtook his system. 

all at once, unexpectedly, he was faced with a pair of toffee eyes- widened with suspense.

“boo!”

if tobio thought the drawer moving was a jump-scare, this must’ve been the closest he’d get to a heart attack.

his back hit his bed frame, gasping to catch the breath he had been holding for so long whilethe other boy simply laughed, a laugh that uplifted and hurt tobio’s ears all at once.

he lifted his head. 

the two were unsure, approaching each other like curious animals; a crow and an eagle- eyes locked, anxious to move a muscle. their stares spoke astronomical volumes.

“who are you?” tobio managed to spit out.

“who are you?” the boy questioned. fear still made no appearance on him, at all.

tobio’s brow furrowed, “i’m tobio kageyama.”

the boy dusted himself off, “hinata. just call me hinata.” he spoke in a voice like melted chocolate. it was smooth, it was comforting, it was confident.

everything he imagined a robber to be.

he looked at the shorter ginger, astounded. 

if only grandpa’s stories had prepared him for a moment like this.

“where do you come from?” 

hinata perked up and pointed to the stars, “second star to the right, then straight on ‘till morning!” 

tobio looked at him like a confused puppy.

“you can’t be serious.” 

now it was hinata’s turn to tilt his head, “people take things seriously in this world? that’s... a thing?”

tobio found himself speechless. he sighed, looking out at the moon for some sort of answer-he was sure he was dreaming all of this anyway and tomorrow he’d wake up surrounded by the same old drawers, the same old letters, the same old storybooks.

however, something inside him couldn’t stop shouting that that wasn’t true.

“i... okay,” tobio stumbled, “i know this is all in my head but... just in case, why are you in my room?”

hinata’s happy and soft features turned stern, joining tobio on the bed and slamming his hand on top of tobio’s cold ones. “that real enough for ya?!” 

tobio jumped back again but signalled for him to answer. 

he was not thinking about how warm his hand felt against his own ice cold hand. why would he be? 

“we come to hear the stories!” his hazel eyes beamed.

tobio’s face scrunched up like an empty milk carton, “i’m sorry, we?”

hinata’s stare did not break as he clicked a finger. there was something about his eyes tobio couldn’t shake, almost like a car crash- terrifying and intimidating, but he couldn’t look away. they held stars, different to the stars up above yet they still seemed familiar. he was sure he’d seen them somewhere before…

perhaps they’ve been there all this time.

what had really been there the whole time was something beyond his comprehension. a sea of sparkles filled the room once more and amongst them there was a small figure, only the size of his hand. he couldn’t help but awe at the wings that stuck out from her back, thin as an apple skin, how her hair matched hinata’s but with droopy pigtails on each side. she twirled in what looked like a dress made out of a leaf, but instead of finding it odd or scary tobio found it ethereal. it was like six year old tobio’s thoughts were in physical form- like she somehow stepped straight out of a storybook.

it was a fairy.

just like with hinata, tobio was cautious of her at first, his eyes dancing around her while his body was frozen- scared to move in case he messed up this precious moment. on the other hand (literally, because she was now rested on hinata’s other hand) she didn’t seem bothered by tobio at all. she gave a small curtsy, eyes widening up at him.

“her name is natsu. she doesn’t always fly into people’s drawers, she’s just... really good at telling when people are sad. she wanted to help, that’s all!” hinata smiled.

“i’m still really confused.” tobio said.

“you shouldn’t be.”

if tobio had a penny for every ‘what the hell is going on’ he uttered tonight...

“what’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

“don’t freak out. one night, natsu overheard you whispering a story out to the moon, and the moon just so happens to be our friend. we decided to listen in and have done ever since. because, well… your stories are special!” hinata was beaming, filling the room with warmth.

“slow the roll. you would come on my roof every night? just for a stupid reason like that?” tobio was baffled. 

natsu looked slightly offended as hinata chuckled at her, “it’s not stupid. how can you call those stories stupid?”

“they’re not even mine. they’re my grandpa’s. and just so i know you’re not lying...what’s your favourite?” he asked.

“the ones where you kill all the pirates.” he cheered, natsu nodding violently in agreement. tobio felt his heart swell slightly at the mention of pirates.

“how do you get up on the roof? don’t your parents worry about you being out so late?”

“you ask a lot of questions, you know that?”

he paused, “you would too if a random boy appeared in your room, admitting to stalking you for months.”

hinata smirked slightly before going back into serious mode, if that was even a thing for him. he already seemed like the kind of person who laughs when babies cry, along with establishing the word ‘serious’ does not exist in his vocabulary.

“i don’t have parents.”

he jinxed it. the entire atmosphere in the room changed for tobio. 

“can i ask how old you are?” tobio questioned.

a gasp raised through hinata, fist clutching at his chest. “old?! i am not old, i’ll never be old!” 

tobio was ready to give a blunt response when hinata sprung up, natsu flying circles around his head “enough of the chit-chat, kageyama. we have some work to do.”

“excuse me, link-wannabe?”

hinata grinned at the nickname and locked stares with him again over his shoulder.

“we’re gonna show you something i think you need to see.”

“oh yeah? you’re gonna show me how to dress like cavemen?” 

“you’re no fun.” hinata huffed, turning back towards the window. the moon illuminated his frail features and tobio felt like he was looking at him for the first time again- his auburn eyes glazed over like glass, his freckled cheeks perked up with the most innocent smile. 

the moon must have a soft spot for him.

“come with us.”

hinata’s change in tone surprised tobio. “where?”

“neverland.”

he couldn’t pinpoint why but the name alone made tobio’s heart swell and beat with a little more purpose.

he could tell hinata noticed. he was grinning at him like crazy.

“...tell me more.”

the grin only got bigger, “if it weren’t for me, you would be sleeping right now. i don’t like sleep. you just wake up a day older.” he scuffed his shoes against the floor, “in neverland, nobody grows up. it seems everyone around you wants you to just hurry up and grow already. we want to show you that... you shouldn’t.” he paused. 

“...you’re special, kageyama.”

tobio tried to restrain the smile creeping up on his cheeks. 

bingo. it all made sense now. all the confusion gone, wrapped up in a neat bow.

well, almost. he was tobio kageyama, of course the doubt and nerves would come and put him in a chokehold soon enough.

“hinata, i can’t. i’m not. haven’t you seen me? i’m nothing. i’m broken.” saying those worse made him nearly wretch at himself, but for whatever reason he trusted his instinct this time.

“you’re broken? well, i can’t put you back together. but i can take your broken arm and stick it out the window, waving at people walking by. they’ll think it’s just a normal person, but then i’ll show them the arm in full view, without a body, and they’ll probably scream. you’d kill to see the looks on their faces- it’s priceless. besides, fixing people is hard and my way is more fun.”

natsu nodded, agreeing to his plans while staring up at tobio’s arms. he crossed them over his chest-but tonight ending with a saw in his arm wouldn’t surprise him. he wouldn’t even flinch. 

he thought he couldn’t be shocked anymore.

that is, until, he asked hinata how they would get to neverland.

“fly, of course!”

tobio swallowed.

considering hinata’s character, he laughed as this must be some metaphor for childhood or something. this has to be a joke. 

-

this was not a joke.

fifteen years of being stuck in that room faded away into dust as he looked out into the city of sendai, stars looking after the endless streets and buildings while the sun was asleep. his toes curled up on the windowsill as a harsh breeze brushed past them, ruining the serenity of the gentle night.

this struck a thought- his mother.

what would his mother and miwa think if they saw his bedroom abandoned? what if he falls to his death? what if all that was left was the drawers wide open and grandpa’s letter left to wither on his bed? would the police be called? would they even care at all?

“there’s a whole new world out there, kageyama.” 

a voice appeared from behind him on cue, followed by a trail of sparkles and the gentle feeling of a small being resting on his shoulder.

hinata continued in a voice that no one has yet ever been able to resist, “forget them. forget them all. come with me and you’ll never, ever have to worry about grown up things again.”

“how do i know this isn’t just you wanting to murder me?” 

those fiery eyes came back.

oh no.

“what did i say earlier? don’t take everything so seriously!” 

“okay then. how am i supposed to do this? just jump and hope for the best?” tobio teased.

hinata looked at him non-chalantly before breaking into that stupid grin again, “you think of the happiest thoughts and they lift you in the air!” 

then something unexpected happened.

it was like the world had stopped.

his heart was still beating, his lungs were still breathing. the wind was still breezy outside and the gentle bustle of the streets were still heard.

but for a short moment, his world stopped. 

hinata was being serious this time. he was floating.

he sprung up effortlessly, his hands reaching the roof as he was frozen in mid-air, drifting into nothing. his feet wiggled excitedly as he laughed at tobio’s mouth being agape. but tobio couldn’t help it- he looked so free and content- he was slightly envious as his insecurities weighed him down to the floor.

was this kid an angel or something?

as if hinata read his mind, he giggled again. “why the long face?”

“i, uh... i’m not good at thinking happy thoughts.” tobio murmured.

hinata gently floated down to face him. natsu was still sitting on tobio’s shoulder, resting her pea-head against tobio’s cheek sympathetically. his cheeks suddenly felt like fire at the rare sign of affection.

“we’ll help! like i said, my way of doing things are always more fun. now come on!” natsu clapped her hands as hinata’s hands met tobio’s, eagerly pulling him back into his room.

his warm hand squeezed tobio’s as he noticed his confused expression, “try think of the happiest moment in your life, and trust it. believe it.”

“i have a very limited stash of happy moments.”

hinata was still floating just above ground when he smiled warmly.

“grandpa?”

he didn’t have to try.

he could feel his feet thump against the stony path while his grandpa followed behind him, repeating he was going to catch him. he felt a pair of lips on his forehead as he snuggled into bed, grandpa sitting beside him with a book in hand. he could hear his tone becoming more intense as he described the pirates on the sea, and softer as he talked about the fairy caves and mermaid creeks.

he felt him.

he was here. 

“would you look at that!”

but ‘here’ was no longer with two feet full of worry weighing him down.

he was touching the ceiling.

wait, when did that happen?!

tobio tried to speak but no words made their way out as he looked down- his bed so distant, his drawers smaller.

this wasn’t happening.

this, logically, cannot be happening.

“this is happening, kageyama!”

ah, just on time.

he’ll admit, he was a little rocky at first. his arms began to flail as he tried to sought balance- gravity became non-existent, not supporting him at all.

suddenly hinata was back in his face. he was close this time, tobio swore if he stayed still he could count all the freckles that danced on the bridge of his nose.

but this was hinata. he does not stay still.

instead he blew something over tobio like a mother blows a kiss, covering his body in the sparkles that were seen all over his drawers at the start of this journey. this weird, unexpected but strangely comforting journey.

“sometimes, all you need is a little bit of pixie dust.” these words made natsu spring from his shoulder, twirling and spinning like this was the best moment of her life.

“trust us, rookie! here we go!”

it would be delightful to say that when tobio’s foot left the window ledge, miwa caught his arm or maybe his mother came home early and grabbed him.

but that way... well, there’d be no story, would there? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> they’re so precious goodbye 
> 
> hey, you! thanks for reading again :)


	3. chapter three

hinata had never seen anything like it.

it wasn’t the fact that natsu was unexpectedly warm with tobio, not teasing him or being bossy like she usually was. it wasn’t the people of sendai being ever so snotty- none of that was astounding him.

it was kageyama. 

he was a natural in the sky- as if the wind was always meant to be flowing through his t-shirt and coal hair, the breeze this high up tickling him, releasing occasional giggles. as they soared over a pond, the rush hit them both full-force as they glanced into their reflections, smiling and stretching out arms in blissful freedom.

kageyama felt like he was looking at himself for the first time. why didn’t he smile more? he looked so free when he smiled, when his cheeks raised and tinted pink. he felt like he was glowing. he felt light.

hinata could see him out the corner of his eye and looked graciously, natsu giving him a wink. 

his bones tingled as the air told him this was a good idea. he was doing something right.

“don’t get too comfortable, kageyama! watch this!”

hinata began to twirl through the stars. his arms and legs were whirling and cutting through the night sky, his expression never changing from being so content, so liberated.

he twirled and leapt for a while, then settled to soaring on his back like he was lying on a sun-lounger.

“your turn!”

the worry was scuttling back onto kageyama’s face, “are you kidding? i can’t do that. i’m barely used to this yet.”

“if you say you can’t, then you won’t. you gotta keep thinking of happy things! it’s the same as having wings!” he sang, becoming one with the stars once more.

‘the same as having wings...’ he wondered. 

‘maybe happy thoughts don’t need to always be in the past.’ 

just when that thought wandered into his mind, he was spinning.

maybe he looked more like a broken windmill than an elegant bird like hinata, but he didn’t care. this was the best he had felt in years, so overcome with joy and excitement he could’ve been a shooting star.

he was now flying next to hinata, showing him the smile he’d been hiding for years. hinata threw him a smile right back, warm hands finding cold ones once more as he spun him round and round, like they were on a ballroom floor.

they were making patterns throughout the sky. 

nothing physically was left behind, but with every smile he gave hinata, natsu and the stars, a little piece of him said goodbye. instead of it being terrifying, he felt refreshed. 

hinata had somehow made him anew in the span of an hour.

everytime kageyama’s thoughts began to spiral again, hinata’s hand was laced through his and his body laced with hinata’s, spiralling and fumbling through the sky. the noises of sendai faded and the only sounds were the wind blowing, a small ‘woo-hoo!’ every once in a while and the heavy drum of kageyama’s heart, beating with so much life. 

he felt nothing else mattered anymore.

which, he supposed in this moment, nothing did.

it was just him and the stars. 

like it’s supposed to be. 

“up here, kageyama! be careful!”

he swerved as his daydreams nearly lead him to crashing into a building before hinata grabbed his arm and pulled him the other way.

well, he didn’t expect the happy moment to last for too long anyway.

hinata kept on pulling him up until they were at the top of the tallest clocktower in sendai. everything looked so much bigger- the numbers looked like giants compared to their tiny frame, dooming over them like monsters.

he once again was reminded that there was nothing to fear. natsu shimmied herself until more sparkles went flying, dusting over the bigger clock hand and moving it from the twelve to the three with such ease- like it was plastic and not heavy at all. they perched themselves on top of the clock hand, kageyama leaning against the wall trying to catch his breath. 

“aren’t these clock hands made out of steel or something?” kageyama thought out loud. 

“what did i tell you? stop asking questions.” 

both boys took a moment to look over the city. streetlights looked like glowing ants and buildings looked like dollhouses, the few people walking around the streets turned into ornaments you would find on your grandpa’s fireplace. the nighttime glow made everything look peaceful and kageyama’s heart swelled with a soothing feeling- finally seeing the world in a different light.

why did his mother always talk about the city being so dangerous, everything being so difficult to reach? he swore he would almost touch a rooftop from up here and pick up a car like a toy.

hinata peaked at him from the corner of his eye, knowing every feeling that was flowing through kageyama and softly smiling as he clutched his chest.

kageyama wanted an adventure. no, kageyama  _ needed _ an adventure. with such amazing stories like his, he couldn’t follow his mother’s orders to grow up. his shining light would be dimmed. 

hinata put his game face on,leading kageyama’s finger to point to the stars. “you see that star, the second one to the right? that’s how you get to neverland! we must go. the sun will be rising soon!” he twinkled his chocolate eyes and kageyama couldn’t help the corners of his lips starting to rise.

kageyama’s breath began to flutter with fear once more but before it turned into shallow and panic-filled breaths, a gentle hand was on his heart and all the fear drained out of him in an instant.

“when we’re in neverland, you’ll never have to worry about silly little things. i promise.”

kageyama’s widened eyes softened, “never is an awfully long time.”

“then it’s a good thing, right?”

he didn’t get a second to answer back. fairy dust was sprinkled all over him once more and they were off- unchained spirits, free hearts and souls gliding through the wind. not only did kageyama feel more liberated now in the sky, he felt braver. the tall rooftops of towers were like bowling pins he had to dodge, swerving between them ambitiously while hinata and natsu followed in his tracks, giggling and screaming in glee. 

“see! you’re getting the hang of it now!” hinata said, cheeks aching from smiling so hard.

kageyama could only roar with laughter in response as he felt his inner daredevil calling him. he swooned down lower, passing by windows and pretending to wave to citizens as they whizzed past like lightning. hinata’s temple scrunched up as he was determined to beat him in this little game, swerving even lower and lightly tapping the heads of people who were out on late night strolls- some waking up for an early morning shift.

they were both enjoying themselves a little too much, lost in the moment. natsu broke the excitement by violently fluttering her wings, indicating to hinata that it was time to get back to business. hinata winked at her before tapping kageyama on the shoulder.

“hold onto my wrist.”

kageyama did as he was told, making sure his fingers were firmly gripped around hinata’s soft skin.

“whatever you do, do not let go.”

his flat tone sparked nerves inside kageyama’s tummy.

he squeezed onto hinata’s wrist, trying to frantically remember all the magical words hinata had said to calm him down- clinging to him both mentally and physically like a lifeline.

hinata being a lifeline was not a metaphor. they hurled through the sky at ferocious speeds, no longer seeing any life down below as everything was blending into one like a spilled painting. kageyama couldn’t feel himself breathe, blink, even think- his organs had gone on lockdown. he couldn’t feel his arms or legs-had they fallen off? no, he could still feel the tips of his fingers digging into hinata’s skin.

strangely, flying and speeding into a land unknown has made him feel the most alive. even when he can’t feel his own heartbeat.

-

kageyama’s grandpa used to say everything can change in the blink of an eye. 

he finally understood what he meant.

he hesitantly opened one eye. 

hinata was blurred in his vision but he could still feel his peacefulness as he released a sigh. 

his other eye couldn’t help but pop open as natsu danced around his head, twirling out fairy dust like free candy as she found her favourite spot on his shoulder, signalling for him to look ahead.

the sight reminded him of the sound of a harp, or perhaps the smell of freshly baked bread.

he didn’t question if this was neverland. a part of his soul simply knew it was. 

it was ethereal.

neverland was a dream. it was an island surrounded by a glistening ocean, an ocean so clear he could see the bottom from this high up. there was a sand border hugging the entire island, soft sand that would cover your whole foot as soon as you stepped in. his feet tingled at the thought. 

there were hills. so many bright green hills of all shapes and sizes, blending together by stony paths and rivers wavering in and out of each other in all different directions. kageyama couldn’t figure out what direction some were going in but whatever it was, he knew it was the right one.

there was a sparkling rainbow sat comfortably in the sky, all the different colours shining and reflecting on the island below as beautiful as an artist’s project. 

kageyama had to blink a few times to make sure this was real. all worries of his mother and miwa faded, all melancholy thoughts of his grandpa were left behind.

he was really here. he was really flying through the sky, he was really holding onto this extraordinary boy, with a real fairy on his (strangely relaxed) shoulders and he was really getting screamed at to watch where he’s going.

he was really getting screamed at to watch where he’s going?

“kageyama!! look out!!” 

it was too late.

he hadn’t been to many science classes, but he always thought clouds were water; they were translucent. 

not the clouds in neverland.

he crashed into an extremely large one, bouncing over it like a trampoline unable to stop himself. he felt a little too free as he sprung up and down, pleading to stop, soon enough staying in the one spot and slowing down to a halt.

he suspected hinata to have let go just for that. cheeky dumbass.

he was correct- hinata and natsu were in fits sitting on the cloud, punching the air with tears squeezing out the corner of their eyes.

“you were the one who told me not to let go,” kageyama fumbled to get up and join the two idiots, “and that’s what i get?”

“sorry, i couldn’t help myself. clouds are so bouncy!” hinata snickered, beginning to swing his legs over the clouds as he pondered at the land below. kageyama copied.

they sat in silence for a few moments, though it was not heavy. there were no pauses while looking for insults. kageyama was not met with silence when he said something stupid, or ‘wrong.’

hinata made it comfortable. he was aware of this, smiling at kageyama.

“like it?”

“oh, hinata. this place is gorgeous.”

“told you. are you glad you didn’t give into your fears now?”

kageyama nodded. 

“is this heaven? am i dead right now?”

hinata let out a laugh, patting kageyama on the shoulder. “how could you be dead? don’t you feel the most alive you’ve ever felt?” his voice was soft.

“you have a point. i’m still not set in stone with it yet, though.” kageyama spoke with wonder in his tone.

“neverland exists because people like you believe.”

kageyama turned to him confused, “huh?”

“you know how it goes, kageyama. people grow up, they change- they stop believing in the tales and stories they’re told when they’re kids. but some people?” 

he looked at kageyama while grinning.

“some people don’t want to grow up and don’t stop believing. why should we grow up? it’s a trap and nothing good comes from it.” hinata remarked.

kageyama blew out a breath he didn’t realise he was holding.

“is that why you said i was special, then?”

hinata failed to look at him in the eye, “...maybe.”

this made kageyama chuckle. 

“this is the happiest place in the world, i bet.” kageyama smiled, watching waterfalls flow.

“...almost.” 

“huh? what’s that mean?” he queried.

hinata smirked, “there’s gotta be a villain for there to be a hero.”

kageyama’s mouth was in an ‘o’ shape as he urged for hinata to continue, memories of him begging his grandpa to continue stories flashing in his mind. neverland was bittersweet.

“you see that ship down there?” hinata pointed while kageyama nodded.

“it belongs to the pirates. the real pirates here are a lot different to the ones in your stories... they’re darker. they’re evil.” hinata spoke in a low voice that sent shivers down kageyama’s neck.

“they sail around the island all day, all night- scowling at us kids like we’re their next meal. sometimes, they even try and capture us and convert us to their side.”

kageyama’s eyes were fuzzy in shock, “their side?” he trembled.

“that’s right. you see their flag? with the teddy bear wearing a skull mask?” kageyama nodded, “that’s their logo. they’ve plastered it all over neverland- wanting us to forget about this place and go out in the world and grow up. they hate children of all kinds, growing up or not- they want things their way.”

kageyama felt his soul shrink inside of him. 

“but the main man you should watch out for?” hinata’s mysterious voice drew him closer.

“the man standing at the head. captain hook. get too close to him and we have a problem.” hinata grumbled.

kageyama didn’t know what to say. it was a story with a cliffhanger, no clear ending- he had so many questions. he could almost feel his younger self bouncing up and down on his grandpa’s knee, urging for more.

but hinata wasn’t grandpa- and he didn’t like questions. 

“well, there you go. your warning for this trip.”

“oh, you’re the worried one now?” kageyama teased.

he flashed his usual smile back again, helping kageyama up with a gentle and soft (how were his hands so soft?) hand. 

“spit spot! we have places to be and people to see.” hinata announced.

“i didn’t take you for the business type!” kageyama poked at him again.

“...i don’t know what business means. anyway, this way!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kageyama nearly crashing into a building is how i feel 24/7 
> 
> <3


	4. chapter four

“where are you taking me?” kageyama asked as they flew through clouds once more. 

“to meet my friends!” hinata shouted in excitement. 

kageyama had nearly gotten used to this whole ‘flying’ thing, although he was still a little rusty here and there- by rusty, he means almost squashing natsu against a rock everytime he turned a corner- but they still had all their limbs, so he guessed that was something. he just wanted to do this safely.

hinata, however? not so much.

he was not being careful in the slightest, hence the scars that travelled up and down his arms like a snakes and ladders board. bruises and scrapes rested firmly on frail collarbones, dotted with freckles every now and then.

kageyama found it endearing. he felt the urge to sit down with hinata and ask him where he got each of them, hearing enchanting stories from every single mark.

curse hinata! staring at his delicate skin almost made him crash into another stone. natsu was getting infuriated, flying off his shoulder and giving a pout.

kageyama sighed, zoning back into a fuzzy reality. he followed hinata suite, swooping down in between rocks that accompanied a waterfall while grazing fingertips along the river. it was cold, tickling him as little sprays splashed on his face.

as they flew further into the island, the graceful waterfalls turned into sharp, grassy vines with an assortment of insects and lizards intertwined in them. the rocks were sharper (his poor arms now matched hinata’s), the trees were taller-skyscrapers of nature that reached the sun. 

they were floating into deeper territory now. kageyama tensed up. 

the air around him started to thicken. as they swooped into a cave-like area, he felt his throat tighten as the only source of light was natsu’s pixie dust, leading him further down to his inevitable doom.

he could smell the tigers that were down below waiting to eat him already. or maybe pirates? oh god, what if all the pirates here were cannibals-

“you’re doing it again.”

a voice spoke up through the darkness, bringing some light into his chest as hinata grinned sheepishly.

“what are you plotting, elf?” kageyama teased.

natsu was suddenly bouncing in excitement, flying over to hinata as they turned to him like the ringleaders at a circus.

“an adventure.”

just like that, the lights were completely out.

kageyama swung his head in all different directions to look for the glowing pixie dust, but was met with darkness. it was a darkness unlike any other, the lonely type- the darkness where there’s no difference between blinking and opened eyes. 

he managed to gently float down, his feet meeting with grass that felt like cotton wool. his blind eyes caused him to freeze, not wanting to move a muscle- what if there was a five-hundred foot drop to his left? or a sword ready to cut his throat in half to his right?

just his luck, through all this his ‘guide’ had vanished into thin air, like some sort of magician. 

“a really awful magician, by the way,” he muttered under his fear, praying hinata would hear him and come out to tut at him.

“hey, hinata! where’d you go?”

he still couldn’t see him.

the fear showed physically as he gritted his teeth, small bumps making their way up and down his arms as he hugged himself close. his eyes darted at every breeze, every beam of sunlight that managed to make its way through he mistook for a blade. 

he didn’t dare move a muscle. 

that bugged him. why didn’t he move? why didn’t he just rush at the cannibalistic pirates and try put up a good fight? what was stopping him?

his own fear?

that’s a pretty lame excuse.

that was definitely hinata’s voice in his head.

his mind hauled his feet out of the grass and he began to take baby steps forward. he forced his ears and eyes to stay alert instead of blurring out any possible danger. his fists were clenched so hard they were turning red, his knees like a rag doll.

his vision slowly began to return, squinting to see a small cave ahead that was unnerving, but also strangely inviting.

‘kageyama tobio, you’re an idiot.’ were the last thoughts running in his brain before taking the first step inside.

if it was dark before... this was darkness gone gothic.

most of his body was screaming at him to run, to yell and cry out for hinata and natsu like a snotty-nosed toddler. however, he shoved that voice down. he needed to prove he would not give in to defeat. 

kageyama awkwardly shimmied in further with his back to the wall so nothing could grab him from behind. he kept this going for a little while- a little too long, actually. how big was this cave? was this just his fear making minutes seem like hours?

it was like everything in neverland could read his mind. as these worries crept in, kageyama picked up faint sounds of... a flute? some kind of instrument was luring him in further. the tones put some ease on him as they were high-pitched and cheery, not sinister.

was this hinata giving him a clue? possibly.

without having another option, he trusted it. the notes were echoing inside a dimly-lit tunnel to the side of the cave, the rock looking close to collapsing.

kageyama’s spine shivered as it was now exposed to the darkness. he crept slowly towards the cave, following the composed and gentle tune. 

his mouth was going dry as he realised he was walking down a slope.

he kept walking for a while until a soft glow of light adjusted to his eyes. he could’ve sobbed with relief when to his right, he spotted a wooden sign with a big, bright arrow pointing straight ahead. he squinted to read-

“lost boy’s cave. beware!”

lost boys?

“well, they’re not exactly lost anymore. we’ve found them now.”

kageyama could strangle that familiar voice if he could see his own hands.

“hinata!! are you insane? what are you doing?!” he fumed.

the second-rate magician was leaning against the wall, hunched over in malicious giggles. “you should see your face right now, kageyama!” 

kageyama scowled but couldn’t ignore the blossoming of warmth in his chest.

“...care to explain to me what all this is?” kageyama inquired, gesturing all around him.

“i wanted to see if you’ve been listening to me all this time, about being brave and not letting fear stop you from anything,” hinata gestured for kageyama to follow him, “now you know fear is something that can’t be trusted. besides, it’s a fun little maze, right?” 

kageyama was not going to admit that.

“...yeah. i guess.”

what was wrong with him?

hinata flashed a grin, “i want you to meet my friends.”

“you did all this just for that?”

“don’t ask questions! just believe what i’m doing is for your own good.” hinata disclosed. 

not another word was spoken as they walked down a little further before reaching a wooden door. hinata stepped back and allowed kageyama to go first, his fingers turning the stone door knob and slowly creaking the door open.

he was expecting to meet a bunch of hinata’s. same tunic, maybe different colours, all sitting playing a flute or whatever that instrument he heard earlier was. maybe all his friends were animals or fairies like natsu. he set his expectations low, not wanting to be crushed.

that was the exact moment a rock was thrown in his direction.

he ducked like a ninja, his arms shielding his face as he felt numerous weighty objects being catapulted at him. rocks, branches- and he swore he felt an egg crack? he wasn’t sure if it was yolk or his own blood running down his arm. in fact, he didn’t really want to know. 

his arms thumped with pain, but he didn’t dare look up in case he got shot in the eyeball, or even have his teeth on the floor. he stayed hidden in a ball, like an antelope.

he wasn’t that nervous until hinata also started being an antelope on the floor.

“hinata, move! we’re gonna miss our target! boys, fire!” a voice screamed in the distance.

“you blockheads! what’s the meaning of all th- stop shooting at me! hey! WEAPONS DOWN!”

silence fell upon the underground.

hinata marched past kageyama in the doorway and stood in front of him like a guardian angel, hands on his hips.

“what was all that about? good grief, you would think our new friend was a wild animal!”

the silence was suffocating. it was like listening to kids getting scolded by their teacher.

kageyama curiously looked through his fingers. he was met with a smaller cave with a rounded roof, hammocks and old mattresses thrown all around it like a dumping ground. it was lit dimly with sticks hanging on rocks ablaze, dangerous weapons such as ropes and daggers were taped lazily to the wall.

hands went blue as they squeezed together when he noticed a pile of dusty books in the corner. 

on the wall at the back kageyama managed to make out something written and carved in. while hinata was busy lecturing, he managed to squint and make out- 

_ tsukki- |||| _

_ yamaguchi- ||||| _

_ tanaka- ||||| _

_ nishinoya- |||| _

_ daichi- ||||| || _

_ sugawara- ||| _

“huh.”

“DID WE SAY YOU COULD SPEAK-“

“tsukkishima, calm down!” hinata bellowed once more. kageyama looked up from his hands again and glaring into his soul was a pair of honey-glazed eyes. they weren’t the same as hinata’s- these eyes drew him in then slowly let him go. hinata’s eyes were ferocious and stuck a stare like glue.

the figure was as tall as a tree, his scruffy blonde hair nearly touching the ceiling and his arms drooling down to his thighs. his face was sharp along with his fingertips as they pointed at him, rock in hand ready to pound.

kageyama didn’t know if he wanted to know who these boys were anymore. as per, however, he was too late- hinata was already beginning to speak.

“i bring my new friend here to tell you all stories and this is what he gets?” 

the silent animals started shouting ferociously all at once. kageyama looked at them, astounded.

“but hinata, natsu said you said to shoot it down!”

“what is it? is it a bird? a crow? a monster?!”

“you said we would get to go hunting soon, i thought this was our chance!” a boy with a grey buzzcut yelled in despair.

“our big chance!” another one with spiky, half-bleached hair copied him.

“of course you two could get things twisted, tanaka and nishinoya. your brains are nothing but empty space inside!” 

that comment from a short-haired, bulky brunette sent the two raccoons flying, throwing themselves at him while wailing viciously. this caused a chain reaction as in the blink of an eye all the lost boys were acting feral, a ferris wheel of limbs and sounds of scratching were all that were seen and heard from the big lump. kageyama staggered back, bumping into hinata’s leg as he watched the chaotic episode, his dogs not all on one leash. 

“hang on a sec, you chumps. natsu was behind this?” hinata interrupted the squabbling. 

the boys froze upon hearing his voice again. was hinata their god or something? 

kageyama hadn’t noticed the glistening fairy hovering on the roof this entire time.

he didn’t notice her expression, either. poor thing. she looked like she was being sentenced to death, her eyes as big as golf balls.

oddly, he wasn’t mad at her.

natsu swooped down to hinata’s ear, pulling  _ damsel in distress  _ faces as she expressed what happened.

“oh? it was the lost boy’s fault then? they misheard you? i see...” he translated while turning to look at the lost boys sternly. natsu stuck out her tongue. 

the lost boys nearly looked as guilty as natsu, but a glimmer of cheekiness still shone through their eyes. 

“now, you lumps of fun. explain?”

“natsu came in a scurry. she only ever does that when there’s an intruder, a new bird to catch or a very special guest!” one with fluffy silver hair spoke up.

hinata stepped out the way and raised a flat palm to kageyama while all the lost boys peered at him, as if he was some sort of prize. kageyama bowed in some sort of apology.

“this is a very special guest. boys, i’d like you all to meet tobio kageyama. he came to tell you his incredible stories!”

“...grandpa’s.” kageyama mumbled.

he tried his best to smile at the terrifying beasts looming in front of him. he couldn’t predict their next move, their eyes held no plans which was blood curdling- he placed his hands on his head just to be safe. 

suddenly, they did strike and crush him again. 

in a pile of hugs.

“oh, kageyama! we’ve been waiting for someone like you!”

“the stars heard us! we haven’t had new stories told to us in years!” 

“tell one now!”

“tell one now!”

he blushed furiously, struggling to keep up with all the sudden affection. it was almost difficult to- his guts clenching, his body trying to warn him that he wasn’t deserving as his palms were damp.

the doom of loneliness and being stuck was holding him hostage like a rope.

but now, he had scissors to cut them free.

he placed a gentle hand on the backs he could reach, smiling and resting a head on a stranger’s shoulder. 

“well, if that’s what you want... i suppose i have no choice but to deliver.” kageyama’s smiling tone was met with cheers of joy.

hinata and natsu stood back in the doorway, their smiles as wide as the glow of hope that arose in kageyama’s heart.

  
  


-

“everyone comfy?” 

he could feel six heads resting on him- two on his shoulders, four on his lap. he shivered as dollops of silver and brunette nuzzled closer, his knees shaking as nods rubbed against them. 

“human pillows are nice,” the one he heard was tanaka mumbled. 

“‘s very nice.” echoed nishinoya, the wild gremlin with eyes suited for a villain but a heart suited for a toddler.

he smiled while sighing contently. “alright then. ah, i wish i brought a storybook for you! you’re lucky i have my favourite story from my grandpa memorised. it’s called tobu and maia.”

the lost boys hummed contently. hinata and natsu still hovered in the corner, hinata cross-legged while he rubbed his chin and shot a wink.

kageyama wanted to kill him for this.

but did he, really?

resting his head on spiky hair, he cleared his throat.

_ once upon a full moon, _

_ there was a dreamer named tobu. _

_ tobu’s life was dark and lonely, _

_ so he created dreams to dive into. _

_ his sunshine world was often rainy _

_ as his mother refused to dream. _

_ she would roll her eyes and tut, _

_ tobu’s world drowning in screams. _

_ poor tobu’s pillow soaked in tears _

_ as he drifted off to sleep. _

_ little did he know what awaited him- _

_ tobu would not sleep tonight, not a peep! _

_ at his window appeared maia- _

_ a boy with twinkling eyes. _

_ maia made a promise to bring him to the moon _

_ he showed tobu magic- even taught him how to fly! _

_ my my, the adventures they embarked,  _

_ they fought pirates in clouds, forgetting what it meant to feel. _

_ they soared in sparkles, hand in hand,  _

_ warm touches letting sadness heal. _

_ tobu waited every night for maia _

_ rushing to the moon as he whisked him away. _

_ however, one night his hand remained cold- _

_ in his bed all night he lay. _

_ it seemed like forever, but maia appeared again. _

_ his forehead pressed to tobu’s, a forever a mile away as he said- _

_ “now we must part, so allow your mind to rest. _

_ allow your lungs to exhale out all the mess. _

_ inhale the hope, adventures and dreams of tomorrow, _

_ i wonder what stories you’ll tell? what dreams you’ll follow...?”  _

he’s surprised he remembered the ending. when grandpa read it to him before bed, his voice would turn into warm milk to his ears, lulling him to sleep midway. 

it appears he’s had the same effect on the lost boys. he had to repress smiling like an idiot.

he felt a sudden protectiveness and warmth while watching wild beasts turn into silent creatures, steady breaths and lines of drool on chins hugging him more than any arms could. he didn’t dare to move a muscle and ruin this moment.

his eyes found their way back to hinata and natsu, hinata still looking thoughtful but a smile was threatening his cheeks.

“...that was my favourite too.” he said after a while.

the silence that followed was warm, tender smiles making the most noise.

“he knew, didn’t he?” kageyama beamed.

hinata returned the favour, nodding softly. “i wish i met him.”

“even if you didn’t meet him, he believed in you. he knew you more than anyone else.” 

“even you?” hinata asked.

kageyama pondered for a moment. “maybe understand is a better word.” 

there was that smile again. 

  
  


-

  
  


“i’m kinda bummed we left them so soon,” kageyama exhaled as both boys and natsu left the lost boy’s cave, “they sure were interesting.”

“well, it would be boring watching them sleep for hours, don’t you think?” hinata teased. 

kageyama thought for a moment, choosing his next words carefully. “do you ever get... i don’t know, bored? do you ever wanna leave this place?” 

hinata, as usual, smiled and shrugged it off. “you’re so worried all the time! it’s like everything has to have some sort of meaning for you. can’t things just be the way they are?”

kageyama held back giggles that threatened to erupt, “i should’ve expected that from you.”

hinata suddenly looked concerned, “hey.”

“hey?”

his face softened, kageyama’s brain turning into ice cream. 

“ _ hey _ .”

he couldn’t tell if his heart was pounding from the sudden closeness, or he was having heart failure. it was an animal begging to be released from its cage, making every pressure point in kageyama’s body bounce. 

hinata didn’t give him a moment to gather before melted chocolate words were pouring from his lips, “to answer your question, no. i don’t want to leave. i ran away for good reason. i’ve found where i belong.”

that clench of the heart returned. it was like a monster inside kageyama’s chest.

“...that’s nice.”

a comforting arm was thrown over kageyama’s shoulder, mini-marshmallow fingertips rubbing up and down his arm, “where’s the positive mind?! you’re gonna find that feeling of belonging. why else would we be doing this?” he soothed.

natsu flew on top of hinata’s head, her auburn eyes beaming as she kicked her feet with joy.

kageyama felt a strange wave of relief, “you’re right. i think i need to be more open-minded.”

hinata ruffled kageyama’s thin, straight hair sweetly. “you just needed a little magic, that’s all.”

kageyama suddenly came to a halt.

as they walked further out of the cave, kageyama was so focused on hinata and natsu he didn’t pick up on where they were headed.

magic.

his head fell dizzy at the brightness of this new cave. down from the high roof there were delicate, sparkling crystals dripped down like frozen water droplets coloured sapphire blue, dusted pink and silver. every angle of the whole place was glowing, the sunlight perfectly reflecting off every crystal wall like they were harmonising.

it was like a perfect winter wonderland.

winter soon mixed with spring as he spotted flowers dotted along the floor, the contrasting seasons somehow moulded together perfectly. the flowers were bloomed like a dream- petals fully opened with wondrous smells of rich, creamy berries. 

the floor beneath them was the smoothest stones kageyama had ever seen. no cracks or signs of damage were seen on the surface; they could’ve been mistaken for glass. the sun reflecting allowed them to show small sparkles- however they were merely background noise to the heavenly crystals up above.

“magic...” kageyama whispered.

hinata’s eyes never left the ceiling as he marvelled. “one crystal is worth more than a million yen.”

this grounded kageyama more than hinata knew. or maybe he did know, as once more he was peering at the taller boy, a peaceful expression on his face.

comfortable silence stole the moment. natsu effortlessly glided across the walls, her fingers brushing against every crystal which produced gentle ‘ping!’ noises. this was the most peaceful kageyama had seen her- a resting smile on her baby cheeks, her eyelids nearly closing over. watching over her made his chest warm.

“this isn’t even the best part.” hinata charmed, peering over kageyama’s shoulder.

“woah.” was the only thing that escaped kageyama’s lips as he stared at himself in the crystals, entranced.

“follow me, more magic awaits you...” hinata mocked a servant’s voice and kageyama giggled, eyeing up a crystal staircase that spiralled down into another adventure.

soon enough, the echo from the cavern walls began to fade and full sunlight shined down upon them. kageyama picked up the pace as hinata floated above him mindlessly, his muscles pulling with excitement at the magic ahead.

and my, what magic indeed.

slightly below him there was a great pull of water, glistening as much as the crystals even though it was hidden by mighty rocks, covered in green slimy plants. they were carved in curves, so that beautiful creatures with a tail kageyama knew too well could rest on them.

real life mermaids.

the two boys hid behind a big rock and kageyama couldn’t take his eyes off of them.

they were beautiful. ethereal, alluring creatures who already left shimmers on kageyama’s skin without touching him. like hinata, they moved so freely- time seemed non-existent to them as they floated in the water effortlessly, some sitting on rocks combing through salty locks. 

there weren’t many, maybe less than ten- but every single one was too beautiful to be real. 

even the mermans. he scowled at himself for thinking that, but he just couldn’t help it- the toned chests, the water droplets dripping from every angle, the jawlines that could cut like a knife- it was only natural.

“well?” hinata hummed, placing his hand on kageyama’s shoulder once more.

“they’re... they’re gorgeous.” kageyama whispered.

“all of them?”

kageyama no longer hesitated, looking in hinata’s starry eyes. “all of them.”

hinata gave him a smile like no other. it wasn’t a ferocious grin like the usual smiles he throws, this one was softer, his eyelids droopy, his cheeks glowing and the slight curve of his mouth spoke to his soul.

“just imagine... real life mermaids!” kageyama marvelled.

“would you like to meet them?”

“oh, of course!”

“alright then, let’s go!” hinata didn’t waste a second before he was up in the air once more. kageyama followed, pulling himself up on the rock to make his way down to the pool.

to his surprise hinata pulled an unusual blue object from his pocket. he positioned it to his mouth, blowing out wonderful and cheerful notes while hopping along.

so it was hinata before in the cave- he was right. sneaky swine.

the mermaids and merman’s looked up from their creek, their eyes swelling as they all gathered to the rock where hinata landed.

“why, hello my dear sea-maidens!” hinata called out. 

“hinata!” two mermans with turquoise tails yelled out in glee.

they all swam over to him like he was a magnet, swooning and sighing like preschoolers with crushes. 

“yeah... just forget about me... that’s fine...” kageyama muttered in annoyance, feeling his foot nearly slice open from stones. he looked like a fish out of water as he desperately cling onto whatever seaweed he could find.

“you look super gorgeous today!” a smaller mermaid with shining blonde hair cooed.

“it’s a gift,” hinata winked.

this made kageyama push down the rocks with twice the force.

“did you forget about us? we haven’t seen you in so long!” a scarlet merman with ombré hair spoke quietly.

“do tell us a story now you’re here!” another one with hair similar to an owl propped up on the rock.

“huh. about that-“

“you!” 

kageyama’s harsh tone broke the serene aura as he stormed over as best he could, still flailing his arms like a lost giraffe and struggling to keep his balance.

“hinata, do you know him?” the mermaids held back sneers.

“sure! that’s kageyama!” hinata cheesed. 

he finally arrived on the rock opposite them all, looking like he’d been dragged through a bush backwards.

“kageyama, huh?” a dark-haired merman spoke sheepishly, “and what are you doing here?” 

“i-uh-well-“

“not talking, are we?” instantly they surrounded him like a pawn. 

“look at him! still in his nightshirt!” 

his arms folded over and a scowl took place on his face. the ‘owl’ merman started splashing water and giggling, while the pretty mermaid with blonde hair even tried to pull him under.

“hey! help me, hinata!” kageyama yelled.

hinata was throwing his head back in laughter, “calm down! they’re only messing around!” 

kageyama felt stupid, returning to his old mindset. but with seaweed taped to his forehead, his t-shirt wet and four low-budget fish trying to drag him into the sea, is it surprising? 

this misery didn’t last forever, though. they eventually got bored, and swam back over to hinata to ask their dearly beloved more questions.

hinata didn’t get annoyed at them asking questions. huh.

he looked... at peace.

kageyama’s blood starting to flow faster.

“you foul little cockroach! you bring me all this way to this amazing place, tutting about how i need to ‘change my ways’ yet you keep leaving me behind! am i just a slug to you? am i just here to make you look stronger-“

“kageyama, shhhh!” 

he was graciously cut off with hinata’s frail hand over his mouth.

he tried to keep mumbling underneath it, but there was something cutting in hinata’s eyes which told him to shut up. so he did.

his face fell in fear, as did the mermaids. they were looking up to the sky like lost puppies as heavy black clouds loomed over the lagoon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes i wrote the tobu and maia story :)) i’m sorry if it wasn’t the best i tried 
> 
> phew this chapter was long! here’s a gold medal if you made it this far <3


	5. chapter five

* * *

kageyama was no stranger to shadows.

he’s lived with shadows his entire life- his personal demons, his mother’s condescending tones, his sister’s tyranny. when his grandpa left his light behind, all that was left was a shadow. the darkest one of all, in fact- because it never went away. people continued to tell him he’s not really gone, as long as they remember him- but remembering was the most painful part.

then hinata came along, and showed him remembering should bring warmth and happiness instead of excruciating pain.

hinata wasn’t bringing a positive light on these shadows. for once, his palms were also damp and the veins around his eyes were vibrant. 

the shadows made it hard to see, but from the sounds of grating chants and a mighty boat crashing with the waves, kageyama had a faint idea who was daunting them. they were the only evil force on this island, but that wasn’t to be taken lightly- the way hinata was acting right now meant they had power over him.

of course it was the dreadful pirates

he turned his cheek to look at hinata. he felt airy breaths on his face, hinata looking up at him tensely as if to say ‘what do we do?’ 

kageyama paused before leaning down, whispering in his ear.

“think of the happiest things, it’s the same as having wings...” 

in that moment, hinata gazed at him like he was the only boy in the world.

his flunk was gone in an instant. he leapt over the rocks like an animal, reaching in his pocket and throwing more pixie dust over kageyama.

“follow me. i have an idea.” 

  
  


-

the two trenched through endless caves and crystals until they found an opening which looked out onto the sea. sailing down to the land below was the biggest ship kageyama had ever seen- so big he couldn’t make a size comparison. even from this far away, he felt like a goldfish in an ocean. 

at the head of the ship was a broad figure, chanting his lungs out. obviously the conductor of this wretched orchestra of evil. 

“that’s him, isn’t it?” kageyama said under his breath.

“that’s hook alright.” hinata stated.

kageyama squinted and saw the devil himself, exactly how he’d imagined him to be- long, luscious locks of jet-black hidden by a lengthy hat and not to forget his metal, razor-sharp hook as a hand. he dressed like a victorian man in blood red from head to toe, his frills on his blouse stuck out more than his arrogance.

kageyama shifted with discomfort. “so what’s your big idea?” 

“we’re gonna have some fun.” hinata smirked.

kageyama shuffled back, suddenly intimidated by the ginger. “oh? that’s not what i was expecting.” 

hinata’s smirk changed into a gentle smile (kageyama’s favourite) once more. “my way is more fun. trust me.”

oddly enough, kageyama did.

the boat was looming closer now, their awful chants now in earshot.

_ yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me _

_ we’re beggars and blighters, ne'er-do-well cads _

_ drink up, me 'earties, yo ho _

_ aye, but we're loved by our mommies and dads _

_ drink up, me 'earties, yo ho _

the lyrics punched him in the gut.

as they sailed closer to land, the singing stopped and several pirates stumbled off the ship, chatting words worth of dog food while drunkingly clinging to one another like leeches. 

the only two that remained onboard were hook himself and a much shorter, plumper man who kageyama did not recognise. 

hinata and kageyama ducked and their ears chimed in as voices echoed. 

“smee, fetch me my sword and ensure all business is taken care of. if we catch that imbecile before sunrise, that’ll be plenty time to sell his head and inflict the curse.”

the voice was gruff, clearly a smoker. even from this far away it sent a shiver in kageyama’s bones, his muscles jolting from the familiar tones.

“alrighty sir! you mean the extra pointy one with the zig-zag blades?” an unknown entity chirped.

“indeed. now go.” hook huffed.

silence fell.

“are you listening to me, cream-faced loon?! i’ve given you an order!” hook bellowed.

they heard shuffling of pebbles. “well, it’s just... sir. you’re the smartest fellow i know. the captain of this ship, the bearer of all...” 

“can you stop kissing my ass and get to the point?!” 

“but there’s poop down there, sir!” 

“ENOUGH!” 

even hinata flinched at the sudden raise of voice.

“captain. do you really intend to go ahead with this mission? surely there’s other ways we can do this instead of killing hinata?” his voice cracked.

“it’s the quickest way to do things, smee. i want his head.”

kageyama peeked one eye out in the open and saw the plumper, older man- he looked confused, crossing his arms over his chest tightly. 

“i don’t know. maybe you could make-do with a limb instead, maybe an eyeball or two-“

“SILENCE! i’ve had enough of you, i’ll get my sword myself. stay out here- if you get into any trouble it’ll be your head instead.” hook’s brow furrowed as he yelled, his face releasing imaginary steam.

as the tapping of heels was heard across the wooden ship, hinata tapped kageyama on the shoulder.

“pssst! watch this.”

kageyama held his breath as he watched the ginger crack his knuckles. he didn’t believe hinata was this unfazed by such an evil force, a thought of hinata’s body crippled was so unnerving his breath hitched. did hinata really take all of this comedically? replacing all awful yells with childish giggles? 

freckled hands created a shell around his mouth and his voice went suddenly hoarse, bouncing off every crystal and echoing to the whole of neverland.

“mr smee!! i have a new order for you!” 

kageyama nearly plummeted down to the ocean- he was so shocked at how accurate the impression was. 

mr smee flailed and turned round to face the rock hinata was behind, “oh, yes captain? anything for you!”

“listen to me very closely-i’m only gonna say this once. i want you to cancel the curse. i have a new plan. we will sail home at once and leave hinata be.”

hinata turned to kageyama snickering while kageyama was bent over in the corner, the laugh so intense it was silent. 

mr smee fumbled like a lost animal. “what a sudden change of heart! ah, an order is an order. aye aye, captain.” his face was hypnotised with orders as he stumbled back onto the ship without a second glance. 

the two troublemakers were smashing their lips with their hands to stifle laughter that was threatening to explode.

“hang on a minute...” mr smee’s confused tone was heard, kageyama’s eyes widening.

“that would mean leaving all our men behind! we wouldn’t have any work, sir! we’ve been on this journey for so long, why give up so suddenly?”

hinata looked at kageyama who scurried his mind trying to think of something to say.

he thought for a short moment, eventually shaping his hands like a crown over his head. hinata nodded, knowing exactly where he wanted this to go. 

“i want to be a king.” hinata stated in hook’s voice. 

kageyama stifled another laugh explosion when mr smee almost toppled into the sea. 

“i beg your pardon?”

“you heard me right, peasant.”

“oh. i, well... i, uh...” the fairies must have caught his tongue.

“DID I STUTTER, MR SMEE?” hinata now had his head between his knees, begging for mercy.

“not at all, captain. i’m... well, i’m just shocked. but this is your ship after all! at least hinata will be alright now. you have to admit, he is the life of this island...” 

“yes. yes he absolutely is.” kageyama scowled at him for the humble bragging.

“for the record, when i retire i believe hinata should be my new replacement. he’s smarter than me, kinder than me, funnier than me, everyone likes him-“

their sunlight was dimmed.

“-he has a fairy sidekick, he actually knows how to talk to people... the list goes on-“

kageyama suddenly jumped.

“-i mean, neverland doesn’t stand a chance without his charm-“

the smell of nicotine stung his nostrils. he was too frozen to get hinata’s attention, praying he noticed his solid stares.

“-wouldn’t you agree, smee?”

hinata finally looked up to the sky.

he was regrettably met with the darkest shadow of them all.

“no, hinata. i don’t agree.”

kageyama curled in on himself, not knowing how to react. the pause between the two was unbearable to witness, the two studying each other’s motives in an instant until suddenly hook relentlessly swung at the poor boy, kageyama jolting a scream. 

of course, hinata would not let him slide that easily. he slid off the cliff and into the sky, dodging the hook like a dodgeball as he twirled around it carelessly. kageyama could sense his chuckles from here.

he felt guilty for not doing anything, but his gut told him to let this long-hauled feud play out before him.

and my, what a feud it was. the anger and hunger for victory in both their eyes was unlike anything he’d ever seen. 

“how dare you, you stubby brat!” captain hook’s yells echoed far out into the horizon.

hook desperately leapt around the rocks as hinata stepped on his head, flying above him while sticking out his tongue. kageyama wasn’t sure if the steam coming from his ears was imaginary anymore.

“hinata! be careful!” kageyama yelled, clenched fists becoming sore.

“watch this!” hinata called out while swoonding around the rocks like a carousel, passing hook with a gust of wind which he swung at furiously. 

“my golly, look! it was hinata all along!” mr smee shouted, his mouth agape. kageyama gave him a sly eye. 

as hinata gushed past kageyama who was still hidden, he noticed the cunning look he had in his eye. he flew with speed, emotion flowing through as he lashed out at hook’s back, harshly ripping half of his cape to oblivion. hook spun round on his heel in shock, raising a tense fist to the soaring ginger.

“you are a monster, hinata!” hook yelped while going after him, ten times faster.

kageyama held his breath. hinata may be more cunning and plotting, but hook is big. he was muscular and easily over six foot- he could knock hinata out with a single punch if hinata stayed still.

kageyama did trust hinata, but that didn’t stop his fingers from covering his eyes as hook hurled forward, lashing out like a starving man desperate for food. 

his ears were relieved yet disappointed when there was no explosion, no sound of hinata falling in the sea. 

it was quiet for a long time.

he hesitantly opened his eyes when the faint sound of mr smee chuckling was heard.

“looking for something, boy?” 

the one right thing kageyama’s mother taught him was that silence was never, ever good. 

his hands stuck to his eyes like glue, unwilling to face the dangers on the other side. the safety blanket of his fingertips didn’t last forever and soon enough he was taking a deep breath, peering out. 

hinata’s eyes were panic-stricken.

they had natsu.

hook scoffed as hinata struggled ferociously to get her out of the small, wire cage she was restrained in. kageyama almost didn’t recognise her. the bubbly, sparkly self was slouched over, grey-looking skin overtook a yellow glow and her cheeky grin was lost. 

she was a wilted flower in a garden of thorns.

hinata’s wit had also been lost. all that escaped his lips was struggled grunts.

“hey!” 

hook’s head turned slowly at the sudden boom from over the cliff.

there stood kageyama, arms by his side clenched like a warrior and not a single shed of doubt showed on his face. 

hook dropped hinata by his collar, leaving him in a heap. “oh? there’s more of you? how loathsome.”

“i’m his friend, i’ll have you know.” kageyama snarled. hinata was smiling with relief.

“and i want you to hand natsu back right this instant.” he growled.

“or?” 

kageyama couldn’t shake hook’s condescending mean tone as his piercing rocks for eyes stared him down. 

kageyama breathed a laugh, “i don’t think you want me to answer that. you really have no idea who you’re messing with.”

he spotted hinata look at him with glee like a proud relative. 

that dumbass.

“ah, well what about who  _ you’re _ messing with?” hook announced, puffing his chest. kageyama held his breath once more.

“you don’t have much time, brats. for as soon as we steal natsu’s magic and split your head in two, we will have the power to inflict a dreadful curse on this island. one that will force all the gremlins here to grow up. this land will finally be ours.” 

the quiet rose once more. 

“it’s not such a wonderful thing being young,” hook said after a while. “it’s selfish.” 

“but, oh, so free,” hinata spoke up with a flash in his eyes, “so free when you have no worries or cares.”

he gave one last bonk to hook’s head before flying to kageyama, their hands finding each other without either of them trying.

“you haven’t seen the last of me, captain.”

  
  


-

mr smee ended up steering hook away from the two boys after he struggled to chase them for a few dragging minutes. kageyama’s heart twinged when he saw hinata’s willpower- he could feel the blood flowing quicker through his veins, he could feel his heart beating angrier. he could feel the voices in his head pounding, refusing to accept that it was true.

he knew how it felt to lose someone you love. and he wouldn’t wish that on anyone- especially not hinata. 

not here, not now.

hinata commanded they head to the mermaids creek once more, insisting they’ll know what to do. kageyama merely watched over hinata in silence, as galaxy eyes gazed into his reflection in the crystals.

“they’re not as sparkly.” hinata announced.

kageyama simply nodded.

“we’ll get her back, hinata.” he cooed, ruffling ginger locks that felt like clouds under his fingers.

“i know.” hinata turned his head, peering up at kageyama and giving a smile. the smile that made his heart soar.

“because your grandpa never wrote a story where the fairies die, hmm?” 

hinata strolled out the cave, his footsteps echoing on the crystal stairs.

kageyama couldn’t move. it wasn’t fear that struck his body this time… it was something new. 

something he couldn’t put a finger on. and that bothered him. 

“your heart feels like it’s gonna explode, right?” hinata spoke slowly.

“huh? how’d you know?” kageyama clutched his t-shirt, his heart going like a race car.

he simply chuckled before those beautiful eyes disappeared down the stairs, “because mine is, too.”

-

to say they both felt comforted when they reached the creek was an understatement.

they both scurried down like a child finally reaching its mother, hinata continuously yelling “i need a favour!” until heads began to turn.

“hinata’s back! and... the other one!”

the other one. kageyama scoffed- he hadn’t heard that one before.

a merman with dark, floppy hair giggled. “alright, you two. come sit.” 

  
  


as the two boy’s feet paddled in cool water surrounded by eight curious heads with damp locks of all colours, kageyama’s heart slowed down gently- despite the situation and hinata’s hasty rambles about the mischievous pirates. 

“oh, natsu. the poor thing.” the same merman sighed.

“we’ll get her back alright. in the meantime, poor you! you’ve only been here for a minute and the pirates completely dulled your sparkle.” an extremely toned merman spoke softly to kageyama, resting fluffy, chocolate locks on his shoulder.

kageyama shrugged, “if anything, it’s more magic. what’s an adventure without a battle between hero’s and villains, right?” 

he breathed a laugh, “you’re right. you know, i think we underestimated you.” 

“honestly, you’re kind of freaking me out right now.” a gorgeous girl with long, black hair joked. she looked like the female version of kageyama, which freaked  _ him _ out more than anything. 

“oh, i don’t think it’s possible to underestimate me. i’m as low as they come.” he smiled sadly. 

the mermaids did not let the silence overtake his brain. his skin felt as warm as a winter fire when scaly but gentle hands held his, a damp head was placed on his other shoulder as they both nuzzled (nuzzled!) into his neck. hinata stayed cross-legged on the other rock, but it was not passive. one lock with the eyes full of stars was all he needed to even out his breath.

“there’s magic in every corner,” hinata mouthed. kageyama grinned.

“kuroo.” the floppy, black haired head spoke up in a gruff but comforting voice. kageyama turned his head to look at him, puzzled.

“we haven’t introduced ourselves yet, so we can’t call each other family if you don’t even know our names. i’m kuroo.”

the fluffy-chocolate hair nuzzled in his shoulder once more, “oikawa.”

“kiyoko.” his female-twin said softly.

“kenma.” 

“iwaizumi.”

“yachi.”

“bokuto.”

“akaashi.” 

kageyama’s chest fluttered. “you all have such wonderful names. i’m tobio kageyama.” 

“they picked them out themselves!” hinata said in glee, scooting closer. 

“so, about that favour...” he proposed, leaning into kuroo’s ear.

“shush, hinata. family moment here.” 

the pebble in kageyama’s throat turned into a rock as he realised every drop of affection and love in this creek was being spent on him. every soft touch the mermaids had saved up after a long day was blessing  _ his  _ skin. they could’ve been anywhere in neverland but they decided to be here, in this moment- even hinata, who is currently missing his sidekick- is spending this moment comforting him.

his eyes went from daggers to ponds in an instant. 

“tobio.” 

he shot up at the name that slipped out of hinata’s lips. he was giving him that look again, edging forward over a heap of shoulders to press his forehead to kageyama’s. he was brave and leaned into it instead of scurrying away because hinata was so  _ warm _ , so inviting- he was his own personal sunset, ginger locks clouding his vision. 

the moon met the stars as he looked into the little dreamer in front of him, the only purpose being to study his inhumane beauty.

hinata smiled a smile so gentle, so innocent before bumping noses with kageyama to break his trance. 

“he would be so proud of you.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i hope you liked the mermaids
> 
> aren’t they pretty 
> 
> <3


	6. chapter six

this was a horror story.

the whole time kageyama felt like crushing his head into a pillow and screaming for it to stop; for someone to turn the movie off. still, even though your bones are shaking in your muscles with fear, there’s still that delicate whisper in your head that tells you to keep watching. it’s all so shocking, but you can’t look away.

kageyama’s feelings towards hinata were growing into the ghost that haunts everybody. he knew he shouldn’t be looking at him like that. he knew he shouldn’t get a funny tummy when hinata grips onto his hand. he knew he shouldn’t be disappointed when hinata’s hands leave his body, whispers turned into screaming as he begged for more. 

he was terrified. and a part of him absolutely loved it.

“-that’ll terrify him! right, hinata? kageyama?” 

they were so close to drowning in one another’s pools of wonder they didn’t notice iwaizumi’s discussion.

kageyama’s cheeks dropped as hinata broke their intimacy. “ah, sorry pal! you were saying?”

iwaizumi rolled his eyes. “you want us to buy you as much time as possible to save natsu. so we’ll create the biggest and baddest waves and demand the sky for thunder, making it impossible for them to sail away with her. that’ll terrify him, for sure.”

“exactly what i was thinking!” hinata turned to wink at him.

hinata shouldn’t of done that. the butterflies got stronger.

“leave it to us,” akaashi reassured, bouncing back into the water. “we’ll do all that we can.”

“thank you so much!” they bowed in unison.

“come on kageyama. mission get natsu back and defeat hook and smee once and for all is in action!” 

kuroo breathed a laugh and shook his head, “ah, youth.” 

kageyama gave kuroo a confused eye when hinata dragged him away, the pair soaring far beyond the horizon once more. the air blew through their bodies with a brutal force as the wind became a monster, attacking them from every angle as their mouths struggled to stay closed.

kageyama flew up beside the ginger, who was speeding ahead far more than usual. he had his head in the white sheet of clouds above (no surprise there) and he seemed to be trying to make shapes in his mind, which was impossible.

“i see a blanket.” kageyama spoke up.

“i see an adventure.” hinata replied.

he turned to him, smiling. “you see adventures in everything.” 

“because everything is an adventure if your imagination is wild enough,” they bumped shoulders, “you’re getting better at this!” 

kageyama’s soft smile turned into a mischievous smirk, “now, lets make magic happen and get our natsu back.”

“roger that.”

of course, their reflexes lead them to the lost boy’s cave. the air thickened once more as they flew further down to the outside where vines and insects lived, eyes squinting in the sudden darkness. the wind tickled their exposed skin leaving a gift of goosebumps, which brought attention to the fresh scars upon kageyama’s arms from god knows where. they were fresh, bright pink and hurt like a bee sting- but nothing hurt more than the thought of hinata never getting natsu back.

down and down they went into the darkness while faint sounds of a ‘ping!’ and cheers of joy got closer and closer. glows of a torchlight expanded their vision as the whole family came into view, shooting sharp arrows onto carved targets.

“hey, it’s you!” the tall blonde-haired boy known as tsukkishima yelled, “you here to tell us another story or what?” 

he almost felt guilty. as soon as the two landed, the rampage of excitement arose- it was a sandwich where the filling was excitement, hitting, elbowing-in-the-face, yelling at the two and (the icing on the cake, or sandwich)- biting each other like animals. nishinoya had tsukkishima’s shoulder locked in his teeth like a piece of meat.

“there’s no need for this squabble!” kageyama flailed while hinata burst into laughter beside him.

“calm down, worry-willy! that’s just what they do!” 

“worry-willy...” kageyama turned to him in disgust. “please never say that again.” 

his comment went unnoticed as hinata crouched down beside the sandwich of chaos.

“down to business. come down here too, kageyama. boys, we have a problem. an awfully dreadful problem.

as you’ve probably noticed, i’m missing half of me. natsu’s been stolen by him. that’s right, hook came and sweeped her right outta my hands. without her pixie dust... i don’t know what i am. and now hook has her power, he can inflict a horrible curse which will force us all to grow up.” hinata spoke full of sorrow as both boys looked up at the lost boy’s faces. 

at first, they looked disgusted. their faces were creased like an old piece of paper, their knuckles going crimson. 

then, exactly how it was when they first saw kageyama, their expressions turned mischievous- but worse. he knew from that single expression they wanted to crush hook into a pulp. their forehead creases formed a grey cloud on their face, making their eyes dull like a jaguar. 

“how awful.” the suspected leader of the pack, daichi, growled.

hinata smirked. “we have a plan... and obviously we can’t do it alone.”

  1. _we_. kageyama’s brain went on autopilot.



the autopilot didn’t turn off as hinata continued to explain the plan to the lost boys. his brain turned into mashed potato as all he could think of was  _ wewewewewewewewe- _ it was like he was speaking french.

“hey. you in there?” tsukkishima flicked his forehead.

he was brought back to the frightening reality. “y-yeah. ‘m sorry.” 

frightening. 

he hadn’t thought of that word all day. 

hinata really was something else. if he was living in a story his grandpa was telling, he would be on the edge of his seat- worried for the mermaids, the hunters- near tears if he found out they couldn’t save a fairy. 

strangely, he felt at peace. he felt capable. brave, if you will.

hinata assured him (with another one of those goddamn smiles) that there was time- the mermaids made sure hook and smee couldn’t get away by sending ferocious waves and menacing thunder. hinata helped the lost boys with bow and arrows as kageyama stood watch, eyeing up every breeze that passed and every vine that dared to wobble.

hinata crept up behind him. “you haven’t seen what they can do yet. they may be numbskulls- but you gotta trust me.”

kageyama was stunned, muttering a “i trust you. and i trust you’re gonna make this fun, right?”

he pinched the bridge of the taller’s nose, “you know it.” 

they parted as hinata broadened his shoulders, marching over to the group. his ginger bush reached the clouds as his chin raised to the roof, a jawline tensed and eyelids lifted.

a true leader.

“attention!” he suddenly bellowed in a deeper voice, much like his hook impression. the lost boys immediately formed into a straight line, copying his leader stance.

kageyama snorted a laugh. partly of ridicule, partly of excitement.

“you’ve been waiting for a moment like this- to defeat our enemies once and for all. you better give it all you’ve got...” 

he looked down at the animals in front of him. their eyes pierced through his skin like a needle, limbs stuck to the ground like glue and tongues swirling around like monsters.

“...i don’t need to say much else. you’re all about the action! i’ve given you a command. go, men, go!”

they were ready to move off, the true journey was about to begin- when before he could process it, firm hands were pushing kageyama’s back and a hat was being placed on his coal hair. 

hinata was cheekily smiling with his hand on both sides of his poor, confused head. “kageyama, you’re the leader.”

his blood nearly left his entire system. it could’ve shot out his veins like water guns. 

a reassuring arm was wrapped around his wrist, a teasing grin attached. 

“you wanted an adventure. this will be the greatest adventure you’ll ever have.”

“i... uh, well-“

“ _ go _ .” 

those two letters were enough.

kageyama saluted to the commander, “i shall try to be worthy of my post!”

and just like that, they were off. kageyama stood at the front of the line, his chest feeling bare as no one was protecting it. this was all on him.

the lost boys stood with pride, following his every step like a baby monkey desperately trying to catch up to a gorilla. as they marched through vines, over rivers-not even batting an eye at any hazards, the lost boys began to recite a song: 

_ following the leader, the leader, the leader _

_ we're following the leader _

_ wherever he may go! _

_ tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee day _

_ tee dum, tee dee, it's part of the game we play _

_ tee dum, tee dee, the words are easy to say _

_ just a teedle ee dum, a teedle ee do tee day _

_ tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee dum _

_ we're one for all, and all of us out for fun _

_ we march in line and follow the other one _

_ with a teedle ee do, a teedle ee do tee dum _

_ we march along and these are the words we say!  _

they sang. they sang, they sang some more, then sang again. they hopped over lily pads to prepare them for hopping over crocodiles, teeth sharp like cutting words. they marched over the greatest cliffs with nothing but a tree branch on the verge of collapsing, but no fear arose in their hearts as the branches shook. no hands clenched up in fear when a pair of red glowing eyes lurked in the trees. their confident chins to the sky were not brought down by the sounds of twigs breaking.

kageyama felt invincible. hinata was right- this was the best adventure. 

at the end of the day, he won’t remember crying over his mother’s foul mouth. he won’t remember the doubts he felt standing on his windowsill. he won’t remember being left alone, day in and day out.

he’ll remember this. 

  
  


-

  
  


natsu couldn’t help her nose scrumple up in disgust. 

the whiffs of what smelt like corpses and alcohol reached the back of her throat, sticking to her skin and clothes like a disease. the air itself was probably full of diseases, so this didn’t surprise her one bit. 

she dusted off her sparkly dress as she gazed around from her cage. captain hook’s ship was  _ horrendous _ .

everything from the walls, the drawers that seemed to be infinite, even the air she solemnly had to breathe was filthy to its core. it was what she imagined the inside of a toilet to be like. 

in this small, stuffy cage she felt she was truly acknowledging her height for the first time. with hinata, she felt colossal- soaring through the sky, her chin and chest lifted. here, her bones felt inverted, perhaps something was pushing down on her head? no, there was nothing. her shoulders and spine were gradually crippling.

being in her own skin suddenly felt so… wrong. 

she shoved it all to the back of her mind, tiny hands gripping the metal bars while staring into the void of this room. 

the elephant in the room- how was she going to get out? without hinata’s mischievious plans, she felt useless.

her head hit the metal bars with a ‘thump!’ that was so loud she didn’t notice the real elephant that had entered the room. 

captain hook.

he stood in the far-away doorway, his rusty and demeaning hook scratching at his forehead. 

“ah, it appears my subject hasn’t tried to escape yet? how dreadfully boring.” he yawned while staggering over to her cage.

natsu’s mind was polluted. her hand brushed through her right pigtail, watching as sparkles lifelessly fell to the floor.

in that terrible moment, she knew she was simply hook’s tool. a leaf dangling from his harrowing thorns and roots.

another one of his leaves stammered in. mr smee, she believed. she hadn’t heard about him being threatening, he was rather... timid.

“here is your sword, sir! all powerful and full of magic- just the way you like it,” smee chirped happily.

hook grabbed it while scowling, beginning to pace up and down the small room. “any minute now, natsu. this sword will have every ounce of your power, leaving you and that brat completely useless.”

natsu pouted, stomping her foot in anger.

the clank of metal caused hook to look up and grin, “what’s this? is our little darling angry? what a shame.”

the only noise was the splashing of the ocean as natsu and hook glared through each other’s souls. 

mr smee obviously didn’t get the concept of a ‘stare down’ as he was dancing around hook, right when the tension was getting thicker. 

“captain. you are a genius- there’s not doubt about that. however, if i dare say... was all this necessary? all the torture to this poor, helpless creature?” he whined. 

hook stared smee down condescendingly. his shadowed appearance was illuminated by the sparkly sea as he sharpened his hook with his sword for a moment.

“my dear smee. i’ve gone soft in your mind, haven’t i? do you think i care about these brats at all?”

smee looked at the floor, pushing up his glasses. he didn’t attempt to argue, staying silent.

hook turned around slowly to face natsu, a disturbing look in his eye- one too difficult to describe.

“speaking of stupidity, my dear. you may be hinata’s little dreamboat, but you understand nothing about that brat. if only you could see him in my eyes... you would understand why i wish to set this land on fire and watch every inch of it burn.” 

despite gripping onto the bars so tight her knuckles went white, natsu refused to give hook any hints that she was afraid. hook’s eyes may be daggers alone but she wasn’t unarmed- her pure dignity and belief alone was enough to start a war.

‘miracles will happen, as long as we believe.’ echoed in her mind in hinata’s soothing voice. 

she knew in her bones he wouldn’t leave her alone like this. she knew he was on his way with a miracle. 

“get out your little fantasy world, runt.” hook vigorously shook her cage where it was hanging, bashing her from side to side, her back being hit every second- a cruel reality check. 

as natsu stood up from the mighty fall, something awful caught her eye in hook’s hand.

the sword was sparkling, all different colours like a piece of glass in sunlight.

this was bad- nearly all of natsu’s power was transferred to hook. there wasn’t much time.

“i believed in this island’s power once.” smee spoke up, fiddling with the bandana which sat around his neck.

hook’s stare was blank again. “we all did. key word- once.”

natsu turned into ice.

“it’s okay, cap’n. you are not weak for doing so. it sounds like a fantastic yet horrific lie.” 

“it  _ is _ a fantastic lie,” hook growled, “this isn’t a wonderful fairytale land, a place to play and sing kumbaya. it’s not a glorious adventure. it’s a battlefield, and we’re all just soldiers in hinata’s war.”

nothing angered the fairy more than seeing her loved ones, especially her partner in crime, being mouthed badly.

hook wants this island to burn? lets start with this very ship.

her fragile but fierce eyes lit up. 

her fists squeezes tighter. 

her stomach was surely swirling, combining any emotion that flowed through her tiny body and burning it with rage, so strongly it hurt. 

a smile crept up slyly on her cheeks when she felt the whole room wobble in a familiar pattern. the ship waved up and down quicker and more harsh every minute, grumbles from angry spirits being heard from up above as well as angry taps on the window.

the floor rumbled and wood planks tumbled, the ship getting weaker with every groan of thunder along with hook’s scowl, that got deeper by the second. his curls stood up around his face, baffled by the sudden storm.

when natsu’s cage vigorously swung high enough, she lifted her head and was able to catch a glimpse of the ocean from the window. her eyes whelved down fear as the second she spotted familiar triangular waves, cutting through each other like a saw cuts butter- her instinct screamed a mighty scream.

of course hinata would involve the mermaids. he may be a child, but he is strategic- something the pirates only dream of having.

something the pirates do have, however? a trained army. 

even through the heavy thunderstorm, it was hard to ignore the heavy thump of familiar boots getting closer and closer, hurting natsu’s ears in the process as smee swung the door open for an unfamiliar guest.

“captain!” one of the pirates bolted in, struggling for breath. “code red, sir! the brats raided the entire ship!”

natsu rushed to the front of the cage, double-checking that she heard that correctly. ginger pigtails were flipped back with relief, excitement, everything under the sun- knowing she had a true family fighting for her made her heart leap. 

hook grimaced at natsu before turning around. “leave hinata to me. you get the rest. kill them, if you have to. smee, make sure miss ginger top doesn’t escape.”

“awww, captain! i wanted to be in on the action!” smee slumped in a rocking chair, knocking his small glasses off in annoyance.

“shut up, lump of lard! bring me my sword!” 

  
  


-

  
  


lips were blueberry-tinted blue. the rain punched their hairlines first before dribbling down their fronts, getting stuck in eyelashes and cupid’s bows. their bodies felt in slow motion, shivers never leaving their spines. rough rope tugged at their wrists, leaving marks.

the lost boys were living up to their name. they sat helplessly against a pillar that the pirates had immediately pinned them to, tying them so right their chests couldn’t rise. how peculiar that their chins went from being held up to weighed down with defeat in an instant- they raided the ship with high spirits and animalistic yells, to find out in split seconds they had underestimated the pirate’s power.

one head in particular felt the heaviest. one mind had lightning bolts of guilt striking through his skull. 

one dark-haired, destined to grow up failure.

for a moment, kageyama didn’t fear the fate that awaited him. he simply accepted it, because what was the point in trying? hinata gave him one job, and look where he ended up. 

his eyes hid away, lifelessly staring at the ground for some kind of answer.

the faint cries of their yells from earlier faded in his mind and were replaced by ones from the pirates, clashing their swords together in glee while repeating  _ “yo-ho, a pirates life for me! a pirates life for me!”  _

“kageyama, we’ve got more company...” yamaguchi nudged him, eyeing him to look up.

ah, if it wasn’t the thief himself. long locks brushed, sword sharpened and all.

captain hook’s cat eyes stared them down, walking towards them like he just spotted mud on a crystal. he circled around the pillar, looking each of the lost boys up and down before reaching kageyama, pulling his hair upwards. 

“you silly, foolish boy.” was all he spat into his face before throwing kageyama’s head back down and staggering to his crew, filthy hands gripping shoulders. 

his head threw back as a volcano so strong erupted from his chest, belting out like a song he’d been wanting to sing for years. he bellowed out a great laugh, the thunder harmonising with the booms of other pirates joining in, along with the mighty waves throwing them around like toys as they danced around in celebration.

“i can’t decide which i like more- the smell of victory or the smell of adolescence burning out!” captain hook cried.

“how about a soup of both, cap’n!”

“throw them overboard, sir!” 

hook’s eyes morphed into semi-circles, “this is only step one, boys. when we catch that filthy toddler, then it’s truly over.”

kageyama’s arms twitched as the lost boys squirmed around, moving the rope side to side in distress on their exposed stomachs. feet were digging into the slippery planks, hips raising at a somewhat attempt to break free.

kageyama and sugawara were the only ones who stayed still. suddenly, sugawara tapped him on the shoulder and out his pocket came a shiny metal blade.

he looked him up and down, astounded. 

“how? and...why?” was the only thing kageyama could say.

sugawara smiled a sweet yet cunning smile in return. “you’re the leader. no matter what, we follow our leader.” 

kageyama looked up at the pirates, still dancing and waving their arms carelessly. 

there wasn’t time to think this through. it was now or never.

he used all the power he had left in his frozen fingers, slitting the rope with the knife hastily as the lost boys wiggled themselves free, jumping up like flies and whipping out their own blades from their pockets.

a wave of glee overwhelmed kageyama as he took a deep breath from his stomach.

nothing prepared the pirate’s ears for the howl of ‘charge!!’ that stormed out of kageyama’s lips. they all spun around on their heels in shock, hook’s jaw reaching the floor.

it was hard to tell from his deceitful mask, but kageyama swore for a split-second that captain hook looked terrified.

the powerhouse of kageyama didn’t move just yet. the lost boys began their animalistic howls, the thunder now entering their lungs. with blades in hand they launched themselves at the pirates, knives slashing and legs darting- kageyama could barely keep up with their quick movements.

it sent his muscles twitching and his heart pounding in a way he’d never experienced before. 

he couldn’t stop the rush of an unknown feeling flow so quickly through his veins, through his neck and into his mouth which curved upwards in default. he was the ringleader-watching his soldiers fight in front of him with a sense of pride, making his heart pump even faster.

this feeling only grew when a pirate without an opponent stepped forward, chuckling through his yellow teeth and lifting his sword above his face.

his smile grew. his blade arose. 

kageyama feared the unknown. he feared failing to help hinata through this, because he didn’t know how.

he was weak.

but he understands now. he isn’t weak anymore.

the sound of metal clashing against metal was close to ear-drum bursting level. kageyama’s weapon slid against the pirate’s sword as the opponent hesitated, his eyes angrily looming at the boy from his pointed hat. both wrists gradually became more desperate and angry as they furiously hit away every clash of swords, stumbling backwards as they got more forceful. kageyama never noticed how much his arm ached until it got a second to breathe. 

the ship was a battlefield. my, my, maybe they are soldiers in hinata’s war- but kageyama believed it was a war worth fighting.

however, the war wasn’t an easy one. kageyama’s poor arm wouldn’t last much longer, his feet slipping on the rain-covered planks. the pirate roared a hoarse chuckle as he pushed and pushed, kageyama now backed into the wall, the point of the pirate’s sword now in between his eyes.

“give up, brat.” he hissed through blackened gums.

_ no. _

_ you aren’t worthy of natsu’s power.  _

_ we don’t need to grow up. _

“uh oh.”

kageyama froze.

was this pirate a mind-reader? were his thoughts that threatening?

he felt a whoosh of air on his back as the sword backing him up suddenly vanished. he grew confused, looking around with starstruck eyes like a kid at a magic show.

but, of course, this was neverland. he  _ was _ the kid at the magic show.

“miss me, captain?”

and the magician himself, the sparkling boy with the magical ginger hair, flew down with a pirate in one arm and a sword in the other.

  
  


-

kageyama was glowing with relief.

he was convinced hinata was an angel. 

he swooshed down, not coming into view until he had grabbed the pirate by his collar and then swiftly launched him overboard as if he was weightless. his feet eventually made contact with the floor, standing there and grinning sheepishly.

captain hook slowly swished his locks over his shoulders as his blade gradually slid away from tsukkishima’s blade, mouth agape as hinata came forward, a blade proudly in his hand. 

he took a bow, taking joy in hook’s anger and rage built inside.

in an instant, the floor was clear. the pirates must have sensed what was about to go down as they scurried back, pulling each lost boy with them by their necks. holding them hostage or being protective? kageyama wasn’t sure.

they began to circle around each other, stern gazes never breaking- eyes like daggers, heartbeats matching with the heavy rainfall.

“how considerate of you to come and watch your friends meet their doom, hinata.” hook’s tone was deeper than the ocean.

“the only one meeting their doom will be you, captain”

hinata smirked, cutting hook off before he could open his horrid mouth again, “you know far too well that i’m the best there ever was. you know the only way you could be more like me is to steal natsu’s power. isn’t that pathetic?”

hook laughed a mighty laugh. “this has all gone to your head, boy. maybe it’d be better if i cut it off, hmmm?”

“come at thee!”

the dynamic changed once hinata uttered that phrase. like a snake spotting a frog in the river hook snapped, his sword becoming a part of his body as it wiggled against hinata’s. he was skilled, he was strong- but did he have the mindset to win?

he had his sword. that was all the captain took pride in. the eerily glistening, suddenly too bright and powerful sword. 

just looking at the sword made kageyama feel sick. 

hook must have forgotten that hinata had springs as feet; every low strike hinata sprung above, every hit to his face he dodged, scuttling around the ship with such determined feet shuffles.

their eyes were enough to show how long they’d both been waiting for this moment. 

the final showdown.

“you ready to take a flight?” hinata excelled up into the air, resting on a high wooden beam which hook tried to join him on, but ended up flailing and struggling like a baby animal.

a tall, muscular but strangely toddler-like animal. 

tanaka and nishinoya burst into laughter watching him, the rest of the hunters following suite until a chant of giggles began.

“curse you, foul children!” the captain cried, striking his sword anywhere he could reach. finally he got some leverage from his sword and hauled himself up, trashing the ginger with everything he had.

to wind up his nerves even more, hinata was still treating this whole ordeal like a vacation.

he bounced off the beam once more, now hovering in the dark clouds.

“daww, save your tears for the pillow cap’n!” hinata said, pouting.

the captain, to hinata’s surprise, laughed.

“you’ll be the only one crying tonight.” he spoke condescendingly, urging hinata to look below. hook grinned as hinata spotted the mop of jet black hair and with one glance, he caught on.

and he wasn’t smiling anymore. 

“he won’t stay forever, you foolish boy. he’ll go back home tonight...”

“no...”

“...he’ll grow up, eventually forgetting about you...”

“shut up, hook...”

“...everyday, he’ll get older...”

hinata’s teeth were gritting so hard he feared they would fall out.

“...and perhaps one day, he’ll replace you... with someone called ‘husband!” 

the captain was unable to witness hinata’s reaction to those words. instead, he heard the screams of the sail being cut apart, angry growls escaping adolescent lips and a blade threatening to cut his chest open. while they whirled in the storm, hook was shocked at hinata’s dark tone as his lips were against his ear.

“don’t you ever talk about kageyama again.”

from down below kageyama looked up, the rain pounding his forehead so hard it began to ache. he managed to latch onto hinata’s wild eyes for a mere second, and what he was faced with shook him.

hinata looked... angry. furious, in fact.

and just like that- a classic hinata move- it was gone in the snap of a finger.

his usual cheeky smirk was back, contrasting with hook’s scowl as every one of his sword’s movements was met with air or hinata’s blade being used as a shield. second by second, quicker and quicker, tension exploding alongside the waves. every lung on the floor of the ship was squeezing in suspense, no air passing through.

kageyama got flashbacks to when hinata first appeared. the not daring to move a muscle, the feeling of breath being forgotten as the moment stole you away. 

it was like he was back where he started. kageyama could stay still and watch him forever if he could. 

but if he did, this wouldn’t be an adventure... would it?

from the sky, hinata’s eyes darted to him through the raindrops, shooting him no more than a wink before concentrating on taunting hook.

kageyama knew the plan back to front. he assumed the lost boys knew too, as a simple head nod to daichi was enough for them to connect their minds as one.

without hesitating, kageyama broke free from the pirate’s grasp and sprinted to where they were tied up moments ago, retrieving back their bows and arrows and all the weapons that were stolen from them. quick on their feet, the lost boys followed suite- quietly scurrying like cats awaiting their mice. 

the pirates really had rocks for brains. 

each of them still stood like lemons, too focused on hook and hinata to notice the mission that was happening before their very eyes. kageyama took a chance- he pointed to the main mast, the tallest part of the ship with a small platform on top. the boy’s eyes began to sparkle with poison as they prepared to finish what they started. 

the rush of a leader flowed back into kageyama’s brain like melted chocolate. he began the commands, words spilling effortlessly, urging the lost boys to climb up to the platform.

“to the top!” was all he managed to say before they were scurrying up the ropes. 

all was going to plan until he felt daggers in his back. 

“don’t just stand there, you bilge rats- get those scurvy brats!” 

ah, so they’d been spotted? this was going to be fun.

in neverland, fun means spontaneous. and spontaneous means ‘things that don’t go to plan.’

hinata suggested before that they climb the main mast in single file, one after the other to avoid a traffic jam. 

watching from below, kageyama has realised that that plan was absolutely not going to happen.

their wild instincts got the better of them and as soon as the pirates began to chase them, they scrambled up all at once. kageyama’s hands crawled up to his face as tanaka roared that he was in the lead, enjoying a moment of bliss before his bag of rocks fell from underneath his arm, hitting tsukkishima between the eyes.

“you bastard!” tsukkishima belted, scurrying up even quicker to catch the winner. 

the bag of rocks continued to tumble down in slow motion, causing a chain reaction and bonking pirate hats all the way down. from the heaviness and the slight concussion, pirates that were halfway up followed the rocks and fell all the way back down. 

from where he was standing, kageyama was in fits of malicious giggles. the pirates scowled at him, rubbing their heads as purple and blue eggs started to form on their hairlines, eyes bulging. from the top of the platform, tanaka and nishinoya were also howling with laughter as they continued to bolt pirates down with rocks, each landing on top of the already made pile in a heap.

kageyama felt like a king surrounded by peasants. he bounced on fallen pirate’s heads as he began to climb up to join his men, each step reaching a new feeling of euphoria. but the euphoria was unmatched when sugawara pulled up his swollen hands and he finally got the superior view.

his forehead got dizzy with relief as the enemy so desperately struggled to reach them. on the platform, high fives and back pats were being thrown around, kageyama ruffling any tops of hair in reach. 

“can we shoot these now? please?” yamaguchi whined, offering bows and arrows.

kageyama grinned, “i thought you’d never ask.”

they gathered in a huddle, shoulders brushing as half of them aimed bow and arrows, while the other half aimed stones and rocks. suspense clogged the air as they watched pirates try to claw their way up the ropes like zombies, groaning and huffing with every pull.

“steady...” kageyama muttered as the lost boys licked their lips.

the rain and thunder seemed to stop in that moment.

“fire!!”

and down they went. 

each rock and arrow perfectly made their way to their targets, waking them up from whatever delusional headspace they were in. each and every one fell like dominoes of tumbleweed in a western desert, rolling down and down as the lost boys covered their ears, hearing an astronomical ‘thud!’ from down below.

“we... we did it!” kageyama couldn’t help but yell from excitement. they shook the whole ship with their jumps for joy, their screams of victory rippling through the whole ocean. 

the smell of bruises and rope burns never smelt so sweet.

kageyama had never experienced a true victory before- and it was certainly a feeling he could get used to. the rain beating on his skin was no match for the fierce beating of his pulse and the thunder in the sky was no match for the roaring of his team, who were going as far as ripping their shirts off and swinging them in the air like a lassoo.

they were rejoicing, every soul convinced nothing could ruin this perfect moment. 

well...

almost.

in the amidst of their cheers and joyous laughter, kageyama diverted his attention back to the roaring thunder. growling of lions turned into screeching of dragons in an instant as thunderbolts of lightning cut their way into the sky, sending out vibrations that sent the whole ship rocking even more viciously.

the platform they were standing on became unstable, kageyama’s heartbeat along with it- and as he searched in the grey clouds, he found no mop of ginger hair and no sounds of swords clashing.

panic settled in his throat as his eyes frantically searched for hinata. the lost boys noticed and immediatly came to his aid, the thunder and waves halting them back and forwards like toys.

tsukkishima crept behind him. 

“...down there, kageyama...”

the silence came back as his eyes braced themselves. 

hinata’s face immediately terrified him. all the joy and laughter of the fight had passed- his smile was flipped, his eyes were hidden behind droopy, lifeless hair, his skin tinted grey from the melancholic sky. captain hook had him completely under his dominance with his back pressed against the wall, a sword up to his neck like a nail teasing on a hammer. hook’s forehead was pressed against his, mumbling rotten words kageyama couldn’t make out.

the panic in kageyama’s throat was a beast waiting to be unleashed, until finally he couldn’t hold it in anymore. from miles away, his voice box tore as he screeched into the storm.

“HINATA!”

a ray of sunshine forced itself through.

beams of yellow stroked his face as a smirk arose from a frown. his hands wrapped around hook’s sword, treating it like rubber, pushing it back with all his might which turned hook’s arm into jelly. hook’s knees began to buckle and hinata took that as the perfect chance, hopping up and striking both his feet into hook’s poor stomach. his whole body flubbed across the ship, turning into a paper aeroplane as his back made a ‘boing!’ noise against ropes, which pushed him to his doom. 

he lay there, stars flying around his hairline- seemingly fully unconscious.

seeing hook fall made him feel young. he felt free. free from any shackles that once held him down.

kageyama’s pupils were shaped like hearts. happy thoughts and excitement lifted him into the air above the ship- just as hinata promised- and before he could snap a finger he was twirling in the sky. the lost boys perked up at their leader’s happiness they drifted along too, before all of them slid down the sails in a trance of joy. 

standing next to the enemy was kageyama’s soul hero. the boy that gave his heart wings. he rested his elbow on hook’s head, mockingly giving a curtsy. he burst into glee when he spotted kageyama, bounding over impatiently.

“oh, kageyama!” 

scratched and burned fingertips found their home, interlocking while chocolate and blueberry gazes finally met once again. 

“you were amazing. incredible. like nothing we’ve ever seen!” 

two souls finally became one, and rightfully so. they span around the floor, creating their own dancefloor with a key of victory entering a padlock of trust and endless dreams. 

kageyama simply smiled, words failing to find him as he lost himself in this feeling.

“...and happiness looks good on you, y’know.” hinata said sheepishly.

kageyama’s eyebrows raised at hinata, the smaller boy simply laughing in return while squeezing the tight grip of their hands.

“you’re a light, hinata.” kageyama whispered amongst the skinny love, looking in his eyes for the millionth time.

he would never, ever get tired of those lucent eyes.

“and lights need shadows to shine bright, hmmm?” hinata’s eyes became blinding as they were brought closer to his own.

god, he could be drowning in the sea right now- he wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.

they were lost, in something simple as each other.

but alas, what’s lost must be found.

from the side, a shimmer was heard. not a shimmer of saliva being spat in frustration; not a shimmer of blood being sprayed from cuts; nothing of the sort.

everyone’s ears felt at home with this shimmer. it was warm, it was bright...

it was magic.

it was coming from the door. they all were staring at it, teeth biting lips in anticipation…

even though they all knew exactly who it was.

my, had they missed that cheeky little smile. the sassy pigtail flips, the tiniest cheek pressed against their own. the sound of her wings, the sparkling of her heart… everything!

“natsu!! there’s my girl, there’s my strong girl!” hinata clapped his hands, leaping his light feet over to the fairy. kageyama sighed with relief that she was safe, watching her hover like a firefly.

kageyama’s feet pounded on broken planks as he ran to his family, laughing and rejoicing with every step- until his foot suddenly ached. he had kicked something, and when he looked down to see what he had kicked... he wished he hadn’t.

his heart stopped when he spotted hook’s sword.

hook’s horrifically glowing, shimmering, magic sword.

hook was crippled on the floor, but that didn’t mean his evil spirit was completely crushed. 

“say goodbye to your fairy friend, boy.”

kageyama’s heart stopped.

they  _ can’t _ be too late. 

his heart may have stopped but he didn’t miss a single beat as he pounded over to where hinata was now kneeling, his head unusually low.

‘this can’t be happening... this can’t be happening...’ he muttered with the breath he wasn’t holding onto.

his knees stung as he skidded down to the ground, desperately ducking his head to natsu who now lay limp on hinata’s palm.

  1. that wasn’t right. she doesn’t belong down there. 



kageyama didn’t notice the wet streaks dripping on his cheeks, mixing with the rain in a melancholic river. his lip quivered as he gripped onto hinata’s shoulder with all his weight, while his other half stayed completely still, emotionless. 

he couldn’t watch hinata lose someone he loved the most. he wouldn’t wish that pain upon anyone-  _ especially _ not him. 

“natsu...” kageyama’s voice shook.

“kageyama?” 

that alone made another sob escape his lips. he sounded so innocent, so desperate- it was a cloud eating away at the sun, and kageyama couldn’t bare it for much longer.

but natsu was going completely pale, her yellow skin and lively eyes almost gone forever. no sparkles fell from her fingertips, only raindrops. kageyama’s eyes fell, hopeless.

“miracles can happen... i-if you believe...”

kageyama lifted his head at hinata’s whispers. suddenly, hinata’s head darted to face him, eyes glistening with hope.

“miracles can happen if you believe!”

the wonder boy brought his face closer to natsu’s body. kageyama’s head titled in confusion, but he placed his hand comfortably on the damp skin on hinata’s neck, rubbing circles.

hinata’s shaky breath hit natsu’s wings like medicine.

“i... i do believe in fairies... i do... i do...”

kageyama’s ears perked.

“i do believe in fairies... i do... i do...”

his voice was quiet, yet desperate and tearful. with every syllable, his eyes squeezed more tears.

“c’mon natsu... i do believe in fairies, i do. i do!”

“i do believe in fairies, i do... i do!” kageyama joined.

hinata managed one teary smile to the boy he treasured the most before throwing his neck back, staring the storm in the face.

“i do believe in fairies! i do! i do!” 

kageyama was with him, all the way.

“i do believe in fairies! i do! i do!”

“we do believe in fairies! we do! we do!”

thunder continued to shake as natsu’s body was on the verge of a break. 

“i do... i do believe in fairies! i do! i do!”

the extraordinary chant suddenly was filled with more voices, like a choir. kageyama saw the lost boys in the corner of his tears, waving their shirts around and fighting with every breath they had.

“i do believe in fairies! i do! i do!”

“we do believe in fairies! we do! we do!”

the captain’s hook didn’t seem so sharp anymore. his sword looked like plastic. from afar, it looked as though his own men were laughing at him.

“i do believe in fairies! i do! i do!”

the cries from the whole ship became louder than any storm. with every repeat of the chant, more voices crept their way in- although kageyama didn’t bat an ear to them.

his ears only heard the conductor.

“i do believe in fairies!! i do, oh, i do!” 

hinata held natsu’s limp frame to the faint sunlight.

kageyama’s throat clenched.

“i do believe in fairies, i do! i do!”

everyone on that ship felt a strong wave of an energy too powerful to name. they could feel the words engrave on their spirit, engrave on the world as many children would dream of fairies that night. even grown ups got a sudden boost thinking of the marvellous creatures.

“i do believe in fairies! i do! i do!”

“I DO BELIEVE IN FAIRIES!!”

hinata’s strong yells bounced off the clouds. 

“I DO! I DO!”

hook remained a dark spot in the corner, but his evil was laughable to the pure desperation and love that blew through the air. a love so strong, so unbreakable- voices selflessly shouting in unity.

magic.

kageyama searched his mind, but there was no other word that could possibly describe it.

that was the most wonderful feeling. because magic was the only thing they needed.

well... perhaps they needed a splash of just one more thing.

and it seemed neverland heard his calling, clear as day.

a strike of gold plummeted from the sky, landing where natsu lay- safe on hinata’s palm. this strike of gold wasn’t pointy like a sword, nor sharp like a hook- it was more a gust of wind, covered in shimmers which reflected off the now-appearing sunlight beautifully. 

it circled in its own little adventure before spinning around hinata’s hands, injecting natsu’s wings until transparent lines were shot with gold. 

grey skin began to glimmer with hope. toes were wiggling. eyelids were twitching.

hinata was copying her every move, his hands twitching with anticipation.

“oh, please...” kageyama pleaded. 

“take my hand, natsu. hold it tight.” 

hinata’s finger was an open invitation, waiting patiently but tense for natsu’s tiny fingers to be wrapped around. his eyes were glazed over, his anxious breath like a song.

after a few painfully long seconds, natsu was home.

hinata let out a laugh brimmed with tears as those golden eyes looked back at him, a smile blooming on both their faces.

nothing could break the happiness in that moment.

“hahahaha! that’s my girl!” hinata cheered, throwing her in the air with relief as she found her home amongst the clouds that were parting. sparkling pixie dust flew out of her, touching everything in her path once again.

“you almost had me there, kid! i really thought it was over for you!” tsukkishima yelled, poking out of the overflowing soup of lost boys. kageyama’s chest erupted into giggles as all of them continued their nonsense cheers. his hair and tear-stained face was painted with pixie dust, natsu and hinata flying around the ship in glee while passing it around like childhood photos.

his laughs quietened as him and hinata locked eyes.

they were always finding new ways to look at each other, every glance drawing his soul in more and more. in that one moment, he looked at him and saw stars in the sky. he saw the moon, he saw storybooks, he saw warmth- he saw everything good in life, captured in two pupils.

like it was a reflex, his feet drifted off the ground and his hands reached out so certain. two excited bodies softened as they met, heartbeats so close they bounced off each other. 

“hinata...” kageyama said, taking in every part of his gorgeous face. he memorised the directions his hair went in, counted his freckles, traced a finger over the curve in his lips.

hinata returned the favour, a boy who knew who he was suddenly lost in sapphires.

“i do believe in fairies.” hinata said, loud enough for only them to hear.

he smiled into his cheek, “i do.”

like a fairies wing, hinata’s lips pressed into rosy cheeks.

“i do.”

and the world around them disappeared.

this was their promise; the first chapter to a never-ending story. 

that day, they finally learned the best stories weren’t really written...

but the ones you live through.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> YOU THOUGHT THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS WERE LONG? BOY OH BOY
> 
> i’ve never written a fight scene before so i hope i did an alright job. if you wanna leave some constructive criticism i would appreciate it! i’m always trying to get better! 
> 
> while you’re there, you can leave some kudos too if you liked it :)


	7. chapter seven

“there’s one more thing we need to do, kageyama.” 

kageyama swooned at hinata’s never-ending mischief. “and what would that be?”

hinata smiled a sneaky smile, not letting go of kageyama’s hand as they flew down to the pile of rotting pirates, the enemy being too worn out to lift an eyelid.

kageyama gestured the lost boys to join the last part of this adventure. one soul in many bodies lit up as one by one, they grabbed a smelly man by the neck, no longer feeling their weight. 

hinata grabbed two of his own, lifting his chin out into the now calm and sparkling ocean. 

“throw them overboard!” 

that was all they needed to hear. in the flash of a shooting star, the pirates bounded into the inviting sea like bowling pins- down and down, hitting the gutter with a mighty  _ splash!  _ that made every muscle in their bodies tingle with a mix of relief and victory. 

natsu saluted all the lost boys from the sky, twirling around each bird’s nest of hair which soaked them in magic so the outside matched the inside of their hearts.

oh, how kageyama wished to stop time. to stay in this magical, youthful, free and fun atmosphere for the rest of time. 

however, time will stop for no one. time is free, yet pressuring. fast, yet slow. 

even in neverland.

but he has a little trick to stop time completely.

his two hands simply needed to meet smaller ones, and blueberry eyes needed to be locked with an autumnal forest.

the gentle moment was taken over by hinata’s grin as he picked up the pace with his beloved, leading him to what was their biggest threat- now their biggest joke. 

“care to help me?” 

“oh, hinata! it would be my honour.” kageyama ridiculed, sending them in giggles.

the giggles didn’t cease when they lifted captain hook up by each underarm. his head was ever so droopy, sagging down to his chest with the weight of a lost childhood bringing down his shoulders. 

as he was dangling over the edge, the two boys nodded to each other. they swung and swung, like a tree swing- before finally letting go. he struggled through the fall, limbs flailing and his whole body becoming jelly as he plummeted down. 

and as soon as their ears were blessed with him hitting the water, freedom hit their hearts like a bow and arrow. 

that was it. everything fell into place for kageyama in that current moment- dreams, stories, his pain of his past.

gone.

and replaced with something even better. 

his breath got caught in his throat as hinata swooped him and his heart right off their feet- shooting up like a rocket ship, feeling mild drops of rain drip on their already soaked clothes- but they didn’t mind. if anything, it made their smiles glow even more.

hinata’s strong and safe arms looped around the back of kageyama’s knees and shoulders, ginger locks tickling his forehead as two minds rested together, savouring every last moment as they danced on the clouds.

chocolate eyes urged him to look down at the ship for one last peak. he hesitated, like his brain was trying to convincing him this wasn’t happening. but when he looked down and saw his army, with their weapons scattered around and even the mermaids swimming around the ship- all waving and smiling, giving the best leader there ever was a send-off he so greatly deserved- he smiled through tears, his hand waving goodbyes full of love.

his forehead found its home with hinata’s as he gazed at him dreamily. 

he savoured it, drunk up every feeling that passed through him like his favourite drink. the feeling of his soft skin pressed against his in every way it could be, the smell that smelt so brilliant but he couldn’t describe, how words couldn’t describe him- everything simply  _ was _ . they were floating, far above the clouds.

they weren’t sure how long they’d been flying for, they didn’t care to count the stars in the sky- they were busy counting stars in each other’s eyes. maybe not real stars... but a special kind of stars. 

a glimpse of hope. a glance of love. a shimmer of believing. 

a dream.

two lives and dreams fell into place that night. and kageyama would never fall apart again.

kageyama felt a twinge of disappointment when hinata closed his eyes, but love was fully regained when soft, caring lips were pecking the bridge of his nose. then his cheeks. then his forehead. 

touches from an angel. 

he puckered his lips and placed them on hinata’s cheek in return, making hinata giggle.

their breaths echoed on one another’s cheeks as hinata began to whisper for only kageyama to hear.

“you were my greatest adventure, tobio.”

with that, the last sprinkle of magic shined down when lips joined in awe.

-

“tobio? where are you? i’m sorry i was late home, i was worried about y-“

kageyama lifted his hazy face out of his elbow. he felt an uncomfortable hard surface under his body and a cold but gentle breeze brush through his hair, urging him to slowly open his eyes. 

they popped open and he was met with the view he’d spent years longingly staring out into. 

was that all... a dream?

don’t be silly. there’s no way that adventure was in his head this whole time. his arms still lightly stung from rock scratches, and instead of waking up on his bed he was dozing at the windowsill. 

memories flowing in were blocked by an unusual rush of excitement.

“oh, mom! it wasn’t a dream after all, hinata and natsu really did come and visit me! you should’ve seen me, i was flying through the sky like a fairy! or a prince!” kageyama pranced around the room, his hands squeezed at his chest.

unexpectedly, his mother gave a simple smile.

“that’s nice, tobes.”

he had never felt so confused and startled in his life.

“... aren’t you going to yell at me or something?”

she shook her pristine bob, breathing a laugh while walking over and ruffling his hair, letting slim fingers run through thin strands.

“something in the air was different tonight. everytime i thought of you, the moon looked a little brighter. and it looked like the whole world was sparkling,” she took a breath, “perhaps my perspective on... some things have changed. i wonder why?” 

she gazed out at the moon, tobio following suite. 

if he squinted his eyes, he was certain the moon was sparkling. 

and he knew exactly why- and what it was.

he chuckled, “because, mom... there are people who believe in hinata.”

his mother was frozen in time for a mere second as her eyes shone in nostalgia. she paced her way out of his bedroom, leaning her arm on his doorframe and smiling.

“you can’t go anywhere without that letter, can you?” 

“grandpa’s letter? i didn’t bring it with me...”

she disappeared before he could ask anymore questions. what surprised him was that she was right- there was a crumpled piece of paper sticking out his left pocket, desperate to be read.

“hm, that’s odd. this doesn’t even look like grandpa’s letter...”

that’s because it wasn’t.

his eyes prickled with tears as his hands held the paper so dear, scanning it over before jumping straight in to the magical words.

he only got to the first sentence before the tears started rolling, like a mermaid’s waterfall.

  
  


_ kageyama, _

_ my tobu. my magic star. the greatest adventure i’ve ever known! _

_ by the time you open this, you will be back home. i wanted to write you a letter because, for one, i know how much you love letters. i wanted to give you something, at least- something you’ll hopefully keep. _

_ and also, we never got to say a proper goodbye. if i knew there was a goodbye, i never would have let you leave. if i knew there was a last time i would look in your eyes, i would’ve never looked away. _

_ lets not say goodbye. lets call it the end of a chapter... and the start of a new one. _

_ because, my dearest star, your story is nowhere near over. _

_ you have so many new dreams to chase, so many stories that need to be told. you may have been my greatest adventure, but i am certainly not yours. to live, i believe, is an awfully big adventure. _

_ i can’t wait to see you defeat real grown up pirates once more. i can’t wait for you to meet even more mermaids- far prettier than oikawa or bokuto could imagine. i can’t wait to hear you tell stories to more lost boys- allowing them to be found!  _

_ i know you’ll do all these things with ease... but please never forget what we had. the captain hook we defeated! the mermaids we swooned over. _

_ never grow up, tobio. _

_ don’t let anything dim that sparkle in your eye again.  _

_ from words we both know too well... _

_ let your wildest dreams and fantasies guide you.  _

_ reach out and find your happily ever after.  _

_ until we meet again, my star. _

_ \- hinata (your maia, forevermore)  _

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**bonus:**

“well, that should be enough for today.”

kageyama leaned away from his typewriter, the smell of fresh paper and ink filling his insides with pure joy. he inhaled deeply, resting in the calming aroma of his home office- a bookshelf that took up the whole wall faced him lovingly, with a big and open window that gave a perfect view of the moon. paintings of pirates and mermaids shone brilliantly against the moonlight, the two complimenting each other beautifully. 

the calming moment didn’t last long- soon enough, the sound of delicate footsteps pounding down the hallway overtook his ears.

“daddy! it’s time for a story!” 

the door swung open and two little angels stumbled in, a boy and a girl, running around his desk and grabbing his sleeve.

“come on daddy! other daddy is waiting for you!”

“can we have the story of hinata again? oh please, please!” 

“settle down, darlings!” he giggled, “of course you can. you get snuggled in bed, i’ll be right there.”

“be quick daddy, or the pirates will get you!” 

his smile made his cheeks hurt as his bundles of joy ran out the room. 

he opened his desk drawer, searching for a hardback with sparkles dusting the cover. he took it out the drawer, removing it from where it rested under two heartfelt letters.

he never parted with them.

and, after all this time, he never would.

the thought alone made his cheeks turn pink. as he was getting ready to leave, something peculiar caught his eye- something glistening from his window, something like a firefly. 

his instinct brought him closer, feeling like a young child all over again. his eyes softened as he looked out into the night sky, seeing stars glow ablaze, fireworks of memories frozen in time.

his hands were placed firmly on the windowsill so his full head was peering up, nostrils tingling as he inhaled a familiar scent.

the world was glowing a little more tonight.

“i wonder why...” he smiled softly, clutching his chest. 

his chin rested in his palm, sighing. 

“i’ll always believe in you, hinata.”

and he did.

always. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and that’s the end! 
> 
> i hope you had as much fun reading as i did writing this! i really appreciate it if you made it all the way to the end! :)
> 
> as always, kudos and comments are very much appreciated! i’m also on twitter @moonlightnoya, so you can follow me there if you like :) 
> 
> (or not. i cant really tell you what to do) 
> 
> until next time, my sweet! 💛💛

**Author's Note:**

> poor tobio :( 
> 
> big hugs if you made it to the end of the first chapter <3


End file.
